Switzerland to remove United States and United Kingdom from quarantine list

 

Switzerland on Wednesday decided to remove the US and Great Britain from its mandatory quarantine list, effective April 5th.

The decision is a consequence of falling infection rates as a result of both countries’ strong vaccine rollout. 

Countries are placed on the list as a result of high coronavirus infection rates. 

In addition to the US and the UK, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Ireland, Qatar, Lithuania and St. Lucia have been removed. 

In France, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region has been removed, while in Italy, the Apulia region has been taken off the list. 

Several countries have however been placed on the list, including a number of prominent holiday destinations. 

These are Greece, Jamaica, Paraguay, Tanzania and the Ukraine.

US and UK making progress in the coronavirus battle

In the latest update of its “red list” of countries and regions from which incoming travellers need to quarantine, the Swiss health ministry said travellers from the United States, the world’s worst-affected country in the pandemic, and from Britain, which is the fifth hardest-hit, will no longer need to quarantine from April 5.

Both countries have made great strides with vaccinations, and have seen new infection levels drop low enough to no longer trigger the requirement.

Switzerland puts countries and regions on its “red list” for quarantining once Covid-19 infection rates remain significantly higher than Switzerland’s own infection rate per for a period of 14 days.

On Wednesday, the Swiss rate stood at 523 new infections per 100,000 people. The country of 8.6 million people has to date counted nearly 585,500 cases of Covid-19, and close to 9,500 deaths.

Swiss authorities also said Wednesday they were planning to roll out by summer a certificate for residents who have been vaccinated against the new coronavirus.

https://www.thelocal.ch/20210324/breaking-switzerland-to-remove-united-states-and-united-kingdom-from-quarantine-list/