No broad easing of Swiss virus curbs in sight - health minister

Switzerland will not be able to emerge quickly from curbs on public life designed to halt the spread of the coronavirus, Health Minister Alain Berset said on Wednesday, noting new variants of the virus posed a serious health risk.

Switzerland will not be able to emerge quickly from curbs on public life designed to halt the spread of the coronavirus, Health Minister Alain Berset said on Wednesday, noting new variants of the virus posed a serious health risk. "Comprehensive easing is not expected at the end of February," he told a news conference. "We are in a dilemma."

The government has closed restaurants and recreational facilities and limited public gatherings to five people in a bid to put a brake on the pandemic. Nearly 530,000 people in Switzerland and Liechtenstein have been infected and more than 8,800 have died. The measures were scheduled to run at least until the end of this month. Berset said the government would meet in two weeks to discuss the way forward.

Switzerland announced on Wednesday it was ordering 17 million extra doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which would support its plan to vaccinate everyone who wishes to be inoculated by summer.