Switzerland will allow events of up to 1,000 people starting next week, the government announced on Friday. “As of Monday, June 22, the measures put in place to tackle the coronavirus will for the most part be lifted. Only the ban on large-scale events will remain in place until the end of August,” a government statement said.
More than 31,000 people have tested positive for the virus and 1,680 have died in Switzerland since the first case was reported in late February.
New cases have dwindled to a few dozen per day, allowing Switzerland to reopen schools, shops and borders with fellow member states of the Schengen passport-free travel zone. However, the economy, like many others, is in a sharp recession.
Citing scientific data and experience from managing the first Covid-19 wave, “the current situation is no longer comparable to the situation at the beginning of the year,” the government said.