Swiss Review 3/2020

Swiss Review / June 2020 / No.3 21 Keep your distance. Wash your hands thoroughly. Don’t shake hands. Cough and sneeze into a paper tissue/ handerchief or the crook of your arm. Stay at home from now on. Always call ahead before going to the doctor’s or the emergency depart- ment. party, flouting government guidance. However, many other people have started doing their bit to help others – particu- larly for the elderly who are especially at risk. Kindnesses include grocery shopping, having a friendly chat, and pick- ing up medicine. 11 March: With the virus spreading rapidly in northern It- aly, Switzerland introduces border controls in Ticino. Around 70,000 cross-border workers are allowed to con- tinue commuting into Ticino from Italy. 12 March: Ticino is the first canton to declare an ‘extraor- dinary situation’, shutting all its schools and both of its uni- versities in the process. The federal government offers an emergency packageworth ten billion Swiss francs to soften the blow for Swiss companies. 16 March: The Federal Council declares an ‘extraordinary situation’. All shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment and leisure facilities will remain closed throughout Swit- zerland until at least 19 April. This also applies to schools. Only health and other essential facilities such as food stores and pharmacieswill remain open. The Federal Council also authorises the deployment of up to 8,000 members of the armed forces to assist with healthcare, logistics and security. 19 March: Uri oversteps the mark, imposing a curfew on the over-65s. The Alpine canton is forced to reverse this measure two days later following an intervention by the federal government. 20 March: The Federal Council makes use of its emergency powers and bans gatherings of more than five people. It urges the population to stay at home, stating that people should only go out if they need to buy food or if they have a doctor’s appointment. The advice applies especially to those over 65 years of age, who are particularly at risk. This ban on gatherings relies on individual responsibility and is in contrast to the tougher confinement measures seen in countries like Italy, France, Spain and Argentina. The measure is intended, firstly, to prevent Swiss hos- pitals frombeing overwhelmed, and, secondly, to stop can- tons introducing their own measures unilaterally. In addi- tion, the Federal Council increases its emergency funding for the Swiss economy to 42 billion francs. SMEs with li- quidity shortfalls can apply their banks for unbureaucratic access to a zero-interest bridging loan of up to 500,000 francs. Anumber of cities shut their public parks. Police patrols ensure that the rules on gatherings and social distancing are being applied. 21 March: The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) launches a repatriation action for 630 Swiss nation- als stranded in Latin America. A chartered plane flies the first batch of tourists back to Switzerland three days later. Meanwhile, Ticino goes it alone after its cantonal govern- ment decides to shut building sites and non-essential man- ufacturing activities. This measure amounts to a de facto shutting of the Swiss border to the many Italian cross-bor- der commuters who work in the canton. 22 March: The director of the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) and supreme federal authority on all legislative matters, Martin Dumermuth, calls Ticino to order, saying that all cantons must adhere to the federal government’s emer- gency measures. Exceptions are not possible. By breaking ranks, Ticino has set a dangerous precedent and must be overruled, he adds. 25 March: The FOPH announces that the number of re- corded coronavirus cases in Switzerland stands at 10,000, with 150 deaths. One month later Switzerland’s national standstill continues. Life has changed for us all. People are in isolation. Around 80 per cent of those who work are doing so from home. All schools are shut. Parents (and children) are acquainting themselves with the joys of homeschooling. Switzerland’s flagship tourist industry is currently in hibernation. Peo- ple in the restaurant and catering sector risk losing their jobs. Medical, nursing and care professionals, on the other hand, are working around the clock to their absolute limit. Farm crops are beginning to sprout, but the closure of in- ternational borders means no foreign fruit-and-vegeta- ble pickers. End of March: the federal government has received around 600,000 applications fromover 40,000 businesses seeking compensation after reducing their employees’ working hours. Any trains or buses still running are prac- tically empty. Public transport schedules have been com- pletely scaled back. Reports are emerging of people who have died alone because their families were unable to visit. * is a member of the swissinfo editorial team. swissinfo is providing in-depth cov- erage of the coronavirus epidemic in Switzerland. Visit www.swissinfo.ch /eng/in-depth/coronavirus. For additional coronavirus-related news and information, see page 4. Hygiene rules and how to behave – picto- graphs from the cur- rent Federal Office of Public Health preven- tion campaign.