Guy Parmelin on the Covid measures – “We cannot deprive vaccinated people of their freedoms”

Access to restaurants and spaces cultural, sporting or leisure activities could in future be reserved for vaccinated or cured persons.

Unvaccinated people should expect their freedoms to be curtailed for a long time, according to Swiss President Guy Parmelin. The evolution of the pandemic could require that the 2G rule remain in force in the field of leisure.

The Federal Council put new health measures for consultation on Friday. A variant provides for the generalization of the so-called 2G rule, namely limiting access to restaurants as well as cultural, sports or leisure spaces to only those who have been vaccinated or cured.

“We cannot deprive people who have been vaccinated of their freedoms because many are not yet vaccinated,” said Guy Parmelin in an interview with the “SonntagsZeitung”. Vaccinated people did everything to protect themselves and others and slow the pandemic.”

If the situation continues to deteriorate throughout Switzerland, the authorities will be able to act immediately, adds the President of the Confederation. With the Delta variant, the situation is currently not yet such that it is necessary to immediately introduce rules valid for all, he adds, defending the position of the Federal Council.

Open questions around Omicron

As for the Omicron variant, we still know too little, recalls the minister. Some indications suggest that it is much more contagious, but there are not yet enough clues about its dangerousness, he specifies.

The Vaudois recalled that the Federal Council wants to avoid confinement, even partial, as much as possible. He reiterated the importance of vaccination to get out of the crisis while assuring that Switzerland did not want to introduce compulsory vaccination.

Doctors and epidemiologists expect Omicron to hit Switzerland in January, just at the height of the delta wave. This risks overloading hospitals. It would be good if we could achieve herd immunity with Omicron, without having to endure many seriously ill and dead people for a long time.

Concerns at the OFSP

The heavy burden on hospitals is of great concern to Anne Lévy, director of the Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP). "It's not looking good right now," she said in an interview with "SonntagsBlick." And now comes the new Omicron variant. From an epidemiological point of view, this makes the need to take action quickly even more urgent.

When Omicron takes over, Switzerland will have to be ready. “We expect the new variant to be mainstream by early 2022 at the latest. Given the growing number of cases, Switzerland cannot avoid introducing the so-called two 2G rule everywhere.

This rule offers a little more security to vaccinated or cured people because they no longer become infected so easily. And given the number of unvaccinated individuals who have found themselves hospitalized in recent weeks, the 3G rule (2G extended to people who test negative) is no longer an option.

Asked about the need for containment, the director of the FOPH could not move forward. It depends on the evolution of the infections, she answers.

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