Switzerland Extends Drastic COVID-19 Regulations, Postpones Culture Sector Reopening

By Dejan Vukosavljevic
(Credit: Opernhaus Zürich official website)

The Swiss Federal Council has announced that it will further extend the current COVID-19 regulations due to the soaring number of new COVID-19 cases in the country.

Per an official statement, the federal authorities believe that the steadily rising number of COVID-19 cases does not justify relaxation of any kind. Additionally, too few people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 up to this moment, added the statement. Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset warned the country is facing a third wave of the pandemic.

Back in February, the Swiss Federal Council announced plans to possibly begin the reopening of the cultural sector in April 2021 if the epidemiological situation allowed. However, the exponential spread of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants throughout Europe called for more caution by the federal authorities.

The Opernhaus Zürich has already extended its closure until May 2021, and the decision will undoubtedly affect other major Swiss opera houses.

Switzerland is undergoing an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The country has logged nearly 578,000 cases of the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, and 9,455 deaths.

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