Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has removed Qatar from the risk list of countries on May 20. This means arrivals from Qatar are no longer required to quarantine. 

Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has updated the list of countries and regions with an increased risk of COVID-19 infections while announcing that several countries and regions have been removed from the list.

Consequently, from May 20, the Office removed from the list four countries and several regions of Austria, France, and Italy, establishing that arrivals from these countries and regions will no longer be required to quarantine after entering Switzerland.

The countries and territories exempt from the quarantine requirement are as follows:

• France: Region Bretagne and Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine

• Italy: Region Basilicata

• Austria: Province of Upper Austria and Province of Salzburg

• Palestina

• Qatar

• Poland

• Serbia

• Hungary

The decision of FOPH establishes that all arrivals from the above-mentioned countries, which are permitted entry to Switzerland, are no longer required to quarantine. However, they still need to undergo a PCR test result 72 hours before entering Switzerland, which should result negative.

Moreover, the ones that do not possess a negative COVID-19 test result must undergo testing in Switzerland using a PCR or a rapid antigen test.

In contrast, all persons arriving in Switzerland from a country on the high-risk list, including vaccinated travellers, must stay self-isolated for ten days.

However, Switzerland plans to abolish its quarantine requirement for travellers who have received the vaccine and those who have recovered from the Coronavirus.

Based on the latest update from the FOPH, the following territories of the neighbouring countries of Switzerland are placed on the highly affected list of countries:

• Germany: The State of Saxony and the State of Thuringia

• France: Centre-Val de Loire région, Hauts-de-France région, Île-de-France region, Normandy region, Occitanie région, Pays de la Loire region, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.

• Italy: Apulia region, Campania region

Other countries that are also part of the COVID-19 high-risk list include Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain, Belgium, Cabo Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Estonia, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Colombia, Croatia, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Seychelles, Slovenia, Tanzania, Turkey, Uruguay, and Cyprus.

Additionally, Switzerland has also added to the high-risk list several states where the COVID-19 mutations have widely spread. The list includes:

• Brazil

• India

• Canada

• Nepal

• South Africa

The FOPH pointed out that the list is updated regularly based on specific criteria. Therefore, if a country registers more than 60 infection cases per 100,000 residents during the last 14 days and the number is not due to individual or local cases, the country is immediately placed on the high-risk list.

“Border areas of Switzerland can be excluded from inclusion on the list despite the corresponding incidence. The reason for this is the close economic, social and cultural exchange,” the statement of FOPH reads.

Previously, the Swiss authorities revealed that they are working on establishing a standardised, internationally recognised, and counterfeit-proof Coronavirus certificate in a bid to restore travel to and from the country.

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