Much time has passed since the Covid-19 pandemic, however, the Swiss government has not forgotten the challenges the country faced trying to coordinate the efforts of cantonal and federal authorities to manage the situation. This week, Bern set out draft laws governing how decisions will be made during future pandemics, reported RTS.
Switzerland must be better prepared for pandemics, said the federal government. Coordination between Bern and the cantons will be tightened, and the rules for moving between different alert levels clarified.
The pandemic tested Switzerland’s Epidemics Act, noted Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, the health minister. The law worked well enough, she said, allowing the country to weather the outbreak relatively smoothly. But the crisis also exposed gaps. We want to be better prepared for the next one, she said.
New rules will oblige both the federal government and the cantons to draw up binding crisis plans, making it easier to impose preventive measures swiftly and consistently. That will avoid confusion, said Lukas Engelberger, who chairs the a body coordinating cantonal health chiefs.
The law clarifies who decides what. The federal council must consult parliament before declaring a special situation. Cantons will retain the power to impose restrictions, though Bern may act nationally if needed. Cantons will also remain responsible for securing medical supplies, but the federal government gains a backstop role: if local authorities and private firms cannot deliver, it may step in and manufacture medicines itself.
Bern is set to have more control next time there’s a pandemic. But compulsory vaccination was not on the cards.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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