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Switzerland takes UK off Quarantine list

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Masks will be required when using any ski lift in CH, including drags. Also mandatory whilst queuing.

https://www.jungfrauzeitung.ch/artikel/185796/
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Snowing, wet mask, discarded leaving lift etc. There is going to be a hell of a lot of mask pollution.
Reckon they need to think this through a little more.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I'm not sure discarded masks would be top of my worry list at present !
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They will be when your grand/great grand children eat the plastic in the food chain.
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rayscoops wrote:
BobinCH wrote:
rayscoops wrote:
So with Switzerland drifting in to lockdown and England & Wales banning non essential travel, is U.K. still off the Swiss quarantine list ? most confusing indeed Very Happy


The worsening situation in Switzerland doesn’t make UK arrivals a higher risk so why would the Swiss policy change? And why is it funny?


Because most of UK will be on a travel ban and will not be able to travel to CH and because Switzerland will itself be on lockdown; it just seems a bit ironic dropping the quarantine just before both CH & UK basically shut down.

Seems like the sort of half-@rsed madness that BoJo would come up with wink


The Swiss don’t make their policy based on what the UK do (fortunately). And the Geneva « confinement » measures don’t include a ban on International flights.
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The PM has just announced that "whatever happens these restrictions end on 2 December".

Which I translate to mean "Whatever happens, it's 98% certain that these restrictions will continue but the terminology and structure will be altered to make it look as if tangible progress has occurred when it hasn't 'though this will be enough to supply the press with some cheery Christmas soundbites."
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"These restrictions" will indeed end on 2 Dec because of the sunset clause. But if the scientists say the evidence at near the end of that period justifies an extension then a new period of restrictions could be brought in.

For info on current infection rates and quarantine see: https://twitter.com/PPaulCharles/status/1322510512077344768/photo/1
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So being an optimist - we are due to go skiing 22nd Jan, tunnel, drive and friends self contained chalet near Samoens - IMO as safe as you can get. If that fails for whatever reason and Switzerland is open flights to GVA for the same week are still cheap, so maybe that could be a backup. I have never skied in Switzerland so where should I have look at going as a backup?
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telford_mike wrote:
Masks will be required when using any ski lift in CH, including drags. Also mandatory whilst queuing.

https://www.jungfrauzeitung.ch/artikel/185796/


I can see the argument for wearing masks if you are sharing a T-bar, but if you are riding a T-bar on your own or a single poma type drag lift what's the gain in wearing a mask? Puzzled
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Alastair Pink wrote:
telford_mike wrote:
Masks will be required when using any ski lift in CH, including drags. Also mandatory whilst queuing.

https://www.jungfrauzeitung.ch/artikel/185796/


I can see the argument for wearing masks if you are sharing a T-bar, but if you are riding a T-bar on your own or a single poma type drag lift what's the gain in wearing a mask? Puzzled


There's a political back story to all this. The ski industry is understandably worried that ski areas won’t be allowed to open this winter. No decisions have been made about this at a federal level, and the federal council haven’t asked the industry to do anything beyond enforcing the measures that are already in place for gondolas, cable cars etc. Nevertheless the industry have produced some tougher rules for us all to follow, in the hope that it might preempt more stringent government action.

You're right of course. Riding that new poma up to the Berghaus at Männlichen is probably the safest place in the country. But, politics.
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Night trains and busses suspended until further notice from this weekend across Switzerland. Don't plan to use services after 11pm. Link includes lots of other stuff.

https://www.bernerzeitung.ch/halbe-milliarde-franken-fuer-masken-made-in-china-nutzerzahl-fuer-covid-app-schnellt-in-die-hoehe-707221502952
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New Corona winter pass for non-skiers:

https://www.jungfrau.ch/de-ch/corona-pass-winter/

Includes unlimited trips to the Jungfraujoch. As usual, the price structure makes it a bargain for locals, but less so for tourists.
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At least Switzerland has an effective border guard

http://youtube.com/v/wwBWZYZsWD8
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@dunc999 Switzerland: The 4 Vallées, perhaps? Verbier if you can afford it, or a satellite like La Tzoumaz or Nendaz for cheaper accomodation. You can transfer by train/télécabine to Verbier from inside GVA although for 3+ hire car may well be competitive. If you've got people arriving on different flights, then the train avoids everyone waiting on the latest arrival. Numerous threads on this, as you'd expect - so perhaps do a Forum Search. I have to declare an interest as we have an apartment in La Tzoumaz and others like @BobInCH have a place in Verbier.
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Valais joining Geneva, Vaud and other cantons in ramping up covid measures from Friday night, including closing restaurants and bars. Verbier running the ski lifts as normal but without the mountain restaurants
https://www.24heures.ch/le-valais-ferme-aussi-ses-etablissements-publics-425089585245
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@BobinCH, I was thinking something would change soon
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@LaForet, thanks for the info
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@BobinCH, I don't understand this. The data here: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-stats_coronavirus--the-latest-numbers-/45674308 suggests that cases and deaths are levelling-off?

I've also been told that ski lifts have been classified as public transport so should be kept running...
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The latest (5.11.20) Valais infection rate is at 4,686 cases per 100,000 (See Swiss Federal Office of Public Health - https://www.covid19.admin.ch/en/overview) versus the national average of 1,984/100K For comparison, the current England average is 229/100K (https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/).

So I imagine that the concern for the Valais and Switzerland overall is why it's so high and the necessary countermeasures needed to reduce it. I suspect that they aren't too worried at the moment about importing additional infections from abroad, hence being liberal about UK arrivals not needing to quarantine.


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 5-11-20 15:33; edited 2 times in total
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I meant nationally rather than locally, but fair point. That website is much better than the others, too. Worldometers keeps coming out with some odd numbers.
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Am thinking of attending a basi course in Zermatt in a couple of weeks, does anyone have a handle on the rates in that area?

Cheers
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@ajc2260626, Zermatt is in Valais, and Valais is not all that big, so....
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@rungsp, I live in Ilkley which is 10 miles from Bradford...... central Bradford is 648 per 100,000 where as Ilkley is 123 / 100,000

So quite big variances when only a small literal distance, I think valais area is just above 5000 sq kilometres so am wondering if Zermatt is significantly below average?
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Ezy have just cancelled my flights to and from Manchester - Geneva over Christmas, clearly they have little demand and don't see it changing.
Switzerland have a new case rate that is alarming, not sure why they have done so much worse this time round.
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4786 cases per 100,000 is huge!

@chocksaway, likewise I am wondering how it has got to that in Valais.

I see that Zermatt are closing the pubs and restaurants and keeping the ski lifts going. It will be interesting to see what effect that has. I know it’s not good for the local pub and restaurant businesses being closed but if skiing was possible without the pubs and restaurants (i.e taking a packed lunch every day and self catering in the evenings) then that would do me. Not ideal but I’d take that.
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boobleblooble wrote:
@BobinCH, I don't understand this. The data here: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-stats_coronavirus--the-latest-numbers-/45674308 suggests that cases and deaths are levelling-off?

I've also been told that ski lifts have been classified as public transport so should be kept running...


They are being kept running aren’t they? It’s the pubs and restaurants which have been stopped?
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chocksaway wrote:
Ezy have just cancelled my flights to and from Manchester - Geneva over Christmas, clearly they have little demand and don't see it changing.
Switzerland have a new case rate that is alarming, not sure why they have done so much worse this time round.


I’d already changed my flight over Christmas and New Year to March instead to put it somewhere but it sounds like it was just as well as mine probably would have been cancelled as well.
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Our pre-xmas EJ flights cancelled, so switched to KLM (Schipol change) and moved them to early Jan - flight home on 11/1 cancelled today! Lots of moving parts...
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@VolklAttivaS5, yes they are. I am moderately confident that if the Swiss were going to turn everything off as they did in the Spring they would've done so by now, as deaths are on some days as high as they were back then. The cases and deaths are levelling-off, however.

P.S. Hospitalisations too. The Swiss seem to be wiser than we in that they measure deaths only when 'lab-confirmed' as opposed to just suspected. I still think ascribing deaths to C19 just because it's on the death cert on the basis of suspicion is a poor way to do things.
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Just renewed my ehic card which expired in June. I suspect it will still be valid in Swizerland and Andorra post 1/1/2021 which might be influential in any skiing decisions.
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I’ve never understood the logic of counting deaths of people that have tested positive in the last 28 days (think it was 3 months before wasn’t it?) as COVID deaths. How can a motorcycle accident be a COVID death? I guess if they were ill and riding the bike they may not have crashed had they been well.
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@VolklAttivaS5, also, even more excitingly, what about it being a C19 death if they were -ve when they went in for something else then tested +ve when in there, THEN died of the first thing? I think the evidence at the moment is that hospitals, care home and school/unis are the worst for infection. So of course they shut the pubs, restaurants and barbers.
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@LaForet, thanks for the Swiss website on Covid cases. For comparing though I think you need to select a 14 day period (default is from June) to get figures that match. This gives 2562 per 100k cases - so still bad but not quite so bad as 4500 cases.
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The 7 day rolling average for new tested cases is now 8235 per day (as of last night)in Switzerland. The trend is upwards over the last week. To put this into context if you scale that figure up to the UK's population that is 64 315 cases per day; it is roughly the same figure as France, which has now started attracting BBC headlines. The UK new case rate is for the last 7 days is 22 551 per day. One can only guess at what the future will bring but sadly for skiers France and Switzerland have a long way to go before more than a handful of foreign visitors will be going.
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List here in French of the worst-affected areas in Europe. Geneva is now on top:
https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11692029-geneve-devient-la-region-la-plus-touchee-par-le-covid-en-europe.html
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ajc2260626 wrote:
@rungsp, I live in Ilkley which is 10 miles from Bradford...... central Bradford is 648 per 100,000 where as Ilkley is 123 / 100,000


The 2011 Population Census put Ilkley's population at 14,809, rounded up in 2019 to 15,030.

Given the 123/100,000 cases that maths out to about 19/20 current cases.

And given the fact that the Xmas tree has gone up at the top of Brook Street, along with some pretty lights opposite the station, I defo think Ilkley will draw huge crowds for the early illuminations! Well, possibly half a dozen stalwarts.

Bear in mind that Ilkley has been in localised restrictions since the beginning of August, today's Saturday's shoppers were out in force. snowHead
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@skimastaaah, I didn’t realise that the tree had gone up yet?!?! like you say that could have a massive influx on the population although judging by the Grove today they stayed away.....mind yiu all the shops were shut

So what’s your opinion on the original question what is Zermatt infection like compared to Valais as a whole? Worked back to cases per 100,000 not actual cases so we can compare apples with apples....
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chocksaway wrote:
The 7 day rolling average for new tested cases is now 8235 per day (as of last night)in Switzerland. The trend is upwards over the last week. To put this into context if you scale that figure up to the UK's population that is 64 315 cases per day; it is roughly the same figure as France, which has now started attracting BBC headlines. The UK new case rate is for the last 7 days is 22 551 per day. One can only guess at what the future will bring but sadly for skiers France and Switzerland have a long way to go before more than a handful of foreign visitors will be going.


So here in the UK it’s not as bad as in Switzerland and France?
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According to the link @PrimroseAndBlue posted the first UK area to appear on the list is the ‘North West’ in position number 81
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@VolklAttivaS5, Absolutely, by a factor of around 2.5 as we speak, things may change in the future but at the moment the UK is doing better than a lot.

Stepping back.............
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