Switzerland to start 'gradual' lifting of COVID-19 restrictions from April 27

While the world battles with coronavirus outbreak, Switzerland President Simonetta Sommaruga has said on April 16 that even though the lockdown, which was imposed on March 21, has been extended to April 26, they will begin to ease down from April 27. The assurance about “gradual” lifting some of the Swiss emergency measures came when the country has recorded 26,732 cases of coronavirus with at least 1,269 casualties. In a bid to stem the highly contagious pathogen, the country had ordered schools, bars, and other public places to shut down while a gathering of more than five people was also prohibited. 

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According to reports, the Swiss government has instructed its health ministry to come up with a structured plan to ease the lockdown “step by step” and that too “before the end of April”. These plans are expected to be released on April 16, but the country's Health Minister Alain Berset has told the reporters that despite the lifting of some restrictions, it will be essential for citizens to follow both, social distancing and personal hygiene “for a long time”. He reportedly also said that a steady decrease in restrictions would also be dependent on the number of new coronavirus infections, deaths, and admissions of patients in hospitals. 

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US to re-open by April-end

Similar to the Swiss government plans to begin re-opening the country by April end, US President Donald Trump has said on April 15 that the plans of re-opening US are “close to being final”. Trump has said that the final details regarding the future plans of the country to ease the lockdown, imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19, will be shared with all 50 states. In the press briefing, the US President informed that he will be meeting with governors of all states and provide individual state leader with the authority to implement the “powerful re-opening plan” in their own discretion. However, Trump said that “the day” will be “very very close, maybe even before the date of May 1”.

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(With agency inputs)

(Image Source: AP/Representative)