Showrooms: barrier finally falls on March 1
THE FEDERAL COUNCIL has presented its opening plan to the delight of garage owners and is now submitting its proposals to the cantons. From March 1, vehicles are to be sold again in showrooms and outdoors. Happy news for garage owners: showrooms and outdoor sales areas are to reopen from March 1. The number of new infections has risen in recent [...]
Encouraging news for garage owners: showrooms and outdoor sales areas are to reopen from March 1. The number of new infections has continued to fall in recent weeks. However, the epidemiological situation remains fragile due to the new, more contagious virus variants.
Social and economic life
The Federal Council analyzed the situation at its meeting on February 17. It proposes a cautious, gradual opening in order to give social and economic life more room again. At the same time, a third wave of disease is to be prevented as far as possible.
Activities with low risk of infection
As a first step, only activities with a low risk of infection are to be permitted again. As of March 1, stores, thus also the showrooms, museums and reading rooms of libraries are to be allowed to reopen, as well as the outdoor areas of zoos, botanical gardens and sports and leisure facilities.
Outdoors, private events with up to 15 people are to be allowed again. In addition, young people up to the age of 18 will once again be able to engage in most sporting and cultural activities. The Federal Council will make a final decision on the first opening step on February 24 after consulting the cantons.
Second opening step before Easter
A second opening step is to take place on April 1. It is planned to allow cultural and sporting events with an audience in a narrowly defined framework again, as well as indoor sports or the opening of restaurant terraces.
The prerequisite for this is that the e situation permits this. In its opening decision, the Federal Council is guided by benchmarks: the positivity rate should be below five percent, the utilization of intensive care units in hospitals with Covid 19 patients should be below 25 percent, and the average reproduction rate over the last seven days should be below 1.
But guideline values are not automatic
In addition, the 14-day incidence on March 24, 2021, is not expected to be higher than when it opened on March 1. These guideline values are not automatic. The Federal Council will assess the combination of these guideline values when making its decision.
