Swiss support new virus restrictions

BERLIN — Swiss voters on Sunday gave clear backing to legislation that introduced a COVID-19 certification system under which only people who have been vaccinated, recovered or tested negative can attend public events and gatherings.

Final results showed 62% of voters supporting the legislation, which is already in force.

The referendum offered a rare bellwether of public opinion on the issue of government policy to fight the spread of the coronavirus in Europe, which is currently the global epicenter of the pandemic.

The vote on the country’s “COVID-19 law,” which also unlocks billions of Swiss francs in aid for workers and businesses hit by the pandemic, came as Switzerland — like many other nations in Europe — faces a steep rise in cases.

The Swiss federal government, unlike others, hasn’t responded with new restrictions. Analysts said the government didn’t want to stir up more opposition to its pandemic policies before they faced Sunday’s test at the ballot box — but that if Swiss voters gave a thumbsup, officials may well ratchet up their efforts at fighting the coronavirus.

Health Minister Alain Berset said that with the result of the vote, authorities “still have the necessary instruments to manage the crisis, and we can, if necessary, adjust the instruments to developments.”

Of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, or states, only two voted against the legislation: Schwyz and Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, both conservative rural regions in the eastern part of the country.

“A decision has been made, and we must come together now to get through this winter as well as possible,” Berset said. “This is an appeal for unity but also for respect for decisions that have been taken.”

Turnout for Sunday’s vote was 65.7%, unusually high for a country that holds referendums several times a year.

On Tuesday, Swiss health authorities warned of a “fifth wave” of infections in the country, where vaccination rates are roughly in line with those of hard-hit neighbors Austria and Germany, at about two-thirds of the population.

Infection rates have soared in recent weeks. The seven-day average case count in Switzerland rose to more than 5,200 per day from mid-October to midNovember, a more than fivefold increase.

Austria, meanwhile, has imposed a national lockdown to fight the rise in infections.

Anthony Anex Keystone PROTESTERS in Bern, Switzerland, wear costumes during Sunday’s election. About 62% of voters backed new pandemic legislation; two of 26 states rejected it.