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The Swiss authorities have announced that they might no longer require Swiss COVID-19 certificates issued to tourists.
This means that travellers who enter the country would no longer be required to convert their pass.
“The ‘Swiss’ COVID certificates, issued to tourists, for example, or after antibody or antigen rapid tests, would no longer be required. However, certificates recognised by the EU will continue to be issued. These are still required for international travel as long as other countries still have entry restrictions in place,” the statement of the Swiss authorities reads.
Nonetheless, this is only a proposal and needs to be put forward for discussion, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
At the same time, the Swiss authorities have announced that the country has decided to lift certain restrictions as the country is no longer experiencing increased COVID-19 infection rates.
According to the Swiss Federal Council, starting from today, February 3, the requirement to work from home will be lifted and will apply only as a recommendation,
Even though such a requirement will no longer be effective, Swiss employers are still required to follow protective measures, including the requirement to wear masks during working hours.
“Employers will still be required to take steps to protect their employees from infection in the workplace. Working from home remains an effective measure. The requirement to wear masks in the workplace remains,” the Federal Council explains.
Another rule has also been entirely lifted. Swiss citizens who have been had contact with infected persons will no longer be required to self-isolate. According to the Swiss authorities, such a decision has been taken as the usefulness of contact quarantine has diminished.
Apart from the changes mentioned above, the Swiss authorities are considering two options to relax the remaining Coronavirus rules further.
The first option is to remove all measures in a single step on February 17. If this option gets approved, it would mean that all protective measures would be lifted, including the certificate requirement for public indoor and outdoor areas and the requirement to wear a mask, among others.
However, the authorities think that if they lift the measures all at once, the country may face epidemiological risks. For this reason, they have proposed a second option. The second option is to lift the measures in two steps.
In order to avoid the deterioration of the COVID-19 situation, the Swiss authorities have proposed a two-step approach. The first step would include the lifting of the certificate requirement for restaurants and other venues, lifting restrictions on private gatherings, and lifting the requirement for large outdoor events on February 17.
In this two-step approach, the remaining measures would then be lifted on another phase.
For these remaining restrictions to be removed, the Federal Council now needs to submit a proposal and hold consultations.
Previously, Switzerland ended the pre-entry testing requirement for all travellers who have been vaccinated or recovered from the virus. In addition, the same shortened the validity of vaccination certificates.
>> Switzerland Abolishes Pre-Departure Testing Requirement & Shortens Vaccination Certificates’ Validity