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Switzerland: Fines of up to CHF10,000 to be handed out for breaching coronavirus quarantine

The Local
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Switzerland: Fines of up to CHF10,000 to be handed out for breaching coronavirus quarantine
A police car on the tarmac. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Switzerland’s coronavirus quarantine came into effect on Monday. Anyone breaching the quarantine requirement will be liable for fines of up to 10,000 francs.

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Switzerland put in place a quarantine from July 6th on arrivals from so-called 'high-risk' countries. On Monday, the first arrivals in Switzerland went into quarantine - including travellers from the United States and the Balkans. 

While the ten-day requirement relies on the personal responsibility of those ordered to quarantine, as The Local Switzerland reported yesterday it will be monitored by phone calls and potentially home visits

People who purposefully fail to respect the terms of the quarantine — for instance, by going out or having guests — could be liable to a fine of up to 10,000 francs. 

Q&A: What travellers to Switzerland should know about the new 10-day quarantine rule

People who negligently do so, i.e. through being unaware of the quarantine requirement, will be liable for a fine of up to 5,000 francs.

Similar fines apply when individuals intentionally or negligently put others at risk of infection. 

As reported by The Local Switzerland on Tuesday, cantonal authorities in Solothurn were considering fining a woman the maximum amount after she attended a private party of 300 people while knowingly being infected with the coronavirus. 

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The fines are a significant increase on those levelled for breaches of lockdown requirements up until this point, where there was a maximum fine of CHF100. 

READ: Everything you need to know about Switzerland's new quarantine requirement

Which countries are on the list? 

Late on Thursday, the official list of high-risk countries was released. Some of the more notable countries include Sweden, Serbia, Kosovo, the United States, Israel and Russia. 

The full list is: Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Chile, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Iraq, Israel, Qatar, Colombia, Kosovo, Kuwait, Moldova, North Macedonia, Oman, Panama, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Serbia, South Africa, Turks and Caicos Islands and thee United States.

Affected people will be informed on planes, coaches and at the borders, and must register with the local authorities once in Switzerland.

Anyone who appears to be sick must not be allowed to board buses, trains or flights to Switzerland. 

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Anonymous 2020/07/08 16:04
@Jennie<br />You chose to visit a high risk during a pandemic. Why should others risk to get infection because of your choice?<br /><br />Maybe you can sneak out during the night with the dog? Ask a neighbour? Friends? <br /><br />
Anonymous 2020/07/08 10:31
Me and my family are currently visiting Sweden ( we have a summer house here) And we have a dog back in Switzerland. As of information given by the corona hotline we are not allowed to take our dog out for a walk wen we get back while we are in quarantine. Isn’t that crazy! How are we supposed to take care of the dog?

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