August 13 – Switzerland will allow events, including football matches, to be attended by more than 1,000 people from October 1 provided organisers agree to strict hygiene measures and have authorisation from regional authorities.
The ban on events for more than 1,000 people was due to expire on August 31 but has been extended for another month because a rise in Covid-19 infections.
“The Federal Council intends to ensure that the epidemiological situation in Switzerland does not deteriorate,” the government said.
“At the same time, this careful reopening step takes into account the needs of society and the economic interests of sports clubs and cultural venues.”
“Strict protective measures will apply and the events will have to be authorised by the cantons, taking into account the local epidemiological situation and their contact tracing capacity.
“These should apply across the board, such as for sporting, cultural and religious events.”
Some 37,079 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Switzerland, a country of 8.5 million people, while 1,713 have died. Daily infection rates plummeted to a few dozen between mid-May and mid-June but 273 new cases were announced on Wednesday - a level not seen since mid-April.
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