sets a crisis. Pronounced by the President of the Confederation Simonetta Sommaruga in the afternoon of the 13th. March 2020.

"The Situation is difficult. The Situation is serious. The Federal Council will take care of you. But we need the support of the population. We must go this way together."

There are hard measures adopted by the government yesterday in the fight against the further spread of the Coronavirus . The school is set Monday in Switzerland, Restaurants, Clubs and Bars are limited until the end of April to a maximum of fifty guests, ski resorts closed, events with more than a hundred participants, are prohibited. There are tighter controls at the borders, public transport should be avoided (especially as the pensioners), any and all to refrain from trips, if possible on the home office switch. The consequences of the pandemic, cushion, provided by the Federal Council of 10 billion Swiss francs in emergency aid for the economy. The message to the population: Please stay home. Please avoid excessive social contacts. Please confine yourself.

Unprecedented

Since the Second world war, the Federal Council has enacted no similar government intervention. As a hundred years ago the Spanish flu, made the country face similar problems, it was the cantons, schools are closed and events cancelled the appointment.

Now, the Federal Council takes over. Since Friday, Switzerland is in a prescribed state of emergency. However – and this is an important point – we are legally considered to be still in a "special" location and not in a "extraordinary". For the implementation of the measures, the cantons are responsible, you are about the responsibility, the cohost of childcare (which is difficult and short enough). In the case of the "extraordinary" situation, that would be a matter for the Federal government, and to emergency legislation supported.

"We have the means to meet this Situation. Medically and financially."Simonetta Sommaruga, Federal councillor

followed The media conference of the provincial government, the Internet of hundreds of thousands, was felt like the end of a week, the course, with continuous duration, getting darker and darker. A week of many was clear: This Virus affects all of us. This Virus is specifically.

Everyone has a story to tell: I and the Virus. A friend, a good one, works in a travel Agency. His Thursday was hard. Donald Trump no longer had a store on the day before the Europeans out, the phone stopped ringing, by rotation of the end customer. In the meeting, at lunch, the friend opened his Team that the application for short-time working has been approved, two of my colleagues stay at home. And that he will be father for the first Time.

Then he found a bottle of vodka on the table.

There are unusual times. Friday morning: feverish. Rumors about "drastic measures" of the Federal Council, about the crisis meeting of health Directors from the Thursday to the unexpectedly Alain Berset popped up and the seriousness of the situation announced. On the social media again and again, those map of Europe with the countries in which the schools are closed. France, Spain, Italy, Austria. In the middle, with us, a white spot.

Not any more. Four of the state government, stepped in front of the media to present its action plan. The rubbed appearance: a character.

The opening words of the Federal President Sommaruga: also a sign. It is a rare to hear a Federal councillor insistent talk, rarely a Federal councillor has addressed the population directly. Two objectives have the government. Firstly, to protect the health of the population. Secondly, the measures consequences of this cushion. Yes, the Situation is serious, said the Federal President. "But we have the means and opportunities to meet her. Medically and financially."

Many companies will make the new Regime hard. Freelance, artists, athletes, ordinary workers. "We will not leave you in the lurch," said Sommaruga. "The Federal Council takes care of you. Quickly and unbureaucratically."

the appearance of The government was a long and urgent appeal to the solidarity of the Swiss people. You will now live for a certain amount of time in a changing society, said Berset. A society with a reduced speed. "What we are doing here is an act of solidarity with our vulnerable fellow human beings." To the older citizens, he appealed to protect themselves and to beware certainly not the grandchildren. The Minister of health was also directed explicitly to the Younger generation, to those, which can not affect the Virus a lot. "It is now in need of something different as a Party."

This should be the feeling of many people is clear. It is not so easy to determine the exact Moment in which the atmosphere in Switzerland, too, was a other. The Moment many have been aware of: Okay, this is probably serious. The escalation of the past few days was atypical, there is a Schleich was the end.

How is the us?

Perhaps the Moment was the report of the doctor from Bergamo, which was divided at the beginning of the week everywhere. Bergamo is close, geographically and culturally. Strong economy, well-developed healthcare system. And the same at the Collapse. Be the hospital was pushed to the limits, told the anesthesiologist to the "Corriere della Serra". Too little ventilation devices to ICU. Horror. How would it be for us? How is the us?

Perhaps the overturning moment was on Wednesday, as the Ticino, announced a state of emergency. Cinemas and theatres closing left, the senior private quarantine prescribed: Please, no grandchildren more hats, please no more Bus driving.

It can hardly be

take lasted the longer the week, the greater the level of acceptance was. The drastic measures by the Federal Council today seem not only well accepted, they seem to be desirable. Many of them even go far enough. For Swiss conditions, the limitations may be extreme. A fortiori, because they were centrally prescribed in Bern. A new experience for the country in which the real Power rests with the cantons. However, in international comparison, they are more reserved. Austria, for example, goes much further. Remains open only what is really necessary, super markets, pharmacy. The public life is largely shut down.

This is perhaps. Take the still not quite. Our longing for normality it is, the left to understand this week was so difficult. It is difficult to recognize the Exceptional a position, if it has not yet occurred. Crux of the unseen danger. What is actually happening, you can feel until it is too late.

The longing for normality is not gone. Normality is defined at the Moment just new. Other things are important. In different cities of Switzerland were founded in the past few days, solidarity actions. Young people, networking on the Internet to help older people. Shopping, classic neighborhood help. Artists to stream from your living room concerts. People who offer to watch the children of Doctors and nurses. The landlord, the coordinate via Whatsapp childcare facilities of their tenants. Other things, other sounds, and other records of the crisis. Such as, for example, those of the writer Jürg Halter, written on the afternoon of the 13. March 2020:

"The life remains full of contradictions: increasing solidarity, hoping in times of increasing physical distancing. But what else have we got left to stick to the measures of help and hope?"

Created: 14.03.2020, 08:24 PM