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Zurich ‘insufficiently prepared’ for second wave of coronavirus pandemic: report

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Zurich ‘insufficiently prepared’ for second wave of coronavirus pandemic: report
Zurich. Photo: Adrian Michael

Zurich’s response to the coronavirus pandemic was hampered by a weakness in crisis preparation, an official report has found.

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Zurich, Switzerland’s most populous canton, was “insufficiently prepared” for the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report published on Wednesday. 

The report, prepared by the coronavirus sub-commission of the Zurich Cantonal Council, said that while Zurich’s response during the first wave in Spring of 2020 was sufficient, the preparedness for the second wave from Autumn of 2020 was “inadequate”. 

In the Summer of 2020, Zurich failed to create and maintain a sufficient plan to exit from the pandemic - and to be ready for its second wave. 

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The sub-commission was examining the emergency measures in place during the Covid-19 pandemic, saying that Zurich authorities were “too optimistic” about the pandemic in the Autumn of 2020. 

The report did not assess the canton's vaccination rollout, which has also been heavily criticised and is currently the slowest of all of Switzerland's 26 cantons. 

READ MORE: Why is Zurich’s vaccination rollout the slowest in Switzerland?

A number of recommendations were made to improve the canton’s preparedness - both in terms of the pandemic and future crisis situations. 

These recommendations included engaging in more pandemic preparation at a grassroots level, as well as improving communication links between various government bodies and carrying out more regular audits. 

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