List of countries with a quarantine requirement when entering Switzerland

The Federal Council announced it yesterday: as of Monday, anyone returning from a country considered to be at high risk for the spread of the coronavirus will be required to submit to ten days of quarantine. However, the government had not yet announced which are these 29 countries and the list was made public only today.

List of states and regions with high risk of contagion :

Saudi Arabia

Argentine

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Belarus

Bolivia

Brazil

Cape Verde

Chile

Colombia

Honduras

Iraq

Turks and Caicos islands

Israel

Kosovo

Kuwait

North Macedonia

Moldova

Oman

Panama

Peru

Qatar

Dominican Republic

Russia

Serbia

United States of America

South Africa

Sweden

Article 2 of the Ordinance on measures to combat coronavirus (COVID-19) in the field of international passenger traffic also states that: «People who enter Switzerland and who at any time in the 14 days prior to entry have stayed in a state or region with a high risk of contagion from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (state or region with a high risk of contagion) are obliged to go directly to their home or other suitable accommodation immediately after entry. They must stay there continuously for ten days from their entry (quarantine) ».

The «high risk» of contagion exists, it can still be read in the document when:

- in the state or region in question, the number of new infections per 100,000 people has exceeded 60 in the last 14 days;

- the information available from the state or region in question does not allow a reliable assessment of the risk situation and there are indications that suggest a high risk of contagion in the state or region in question;

- infected persons who have stayed in the state or region in question have entered Switzerland several times in the past four weeks.

Quarantine waivers

Persons who are exempt from the quarantine obligation referred to in Article 2 are:

to. professionally carry out the cross-border transport of people or goods by road, rail, waterway or air;

b. carry out an activity absolutely necessary to maintain:

- the functioning of the health sector,

- public order and security,

- the functioning of the institutional beneficiaries pursuant to article 2 paragraph 1 of the host state law of 22 June 20072;

c. carry out the cross-border transport of persons as part of their professional activity in railway, road, waterway or air transport companies and for this purpose have stayed in the State or region with high risk of contagion;

d. they enter Switzerland daily or for a period of up to five days for professional or medical reasons which are necessary and cannot be postponed;

is. have stayed in a state or region with high risk of congestion for less than 24 hours as passengers in transit;

f. they enter Switzerland exclusively for transit with the intention and the possibility of going directly to another country.

In justified cases, the competent cantonal authority may authorize other derogations from the quarantine obligation or grant concessions.