Switzerland to reopen borders with France, Germany, Austria

Karin Keller Sutter, federal councillor as well as head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police, said at a press conference that the decision was taken jointly with the three countries concerned, and the condition was that the pandemic curve remained positive in the following days, Xinhua reported.

France, Germany and Austria are currently in a period of deconfinement and present a situation similar to Switzerland at the epidemiological level, noted the official, but Italy is in a different situation where circulation within the country is still restricted, thus the reopening of borders with Italy could only be considered later.

Regarding the border issue, Michael Ryan, head of the Health Emergencies Program of World Health Organization (WHO), commented on Wednesday that it brings no additional risk in the decision to reopen the land borders between Switzerland and the three of its neighbours.

"If the risk of disease in your country is like mine, and your comprehensive measure like mine... then you are not adding any extra risk by moving your citizens between the countries," Ryan said in a virtual press conference from Geneva.

As of Wednesday, Switzerland reported 30,413 confirmed COVID-19 cases in total, 33 more than the previous day. The fatality number is 1,564.