GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2020) Swiss authorities will conduct unannounced random checks of compliance with self-isolation regime among travelers arriving in the country amid high rate of imported COVID-19 cases, Patrick Mathis, the spokesman of Switzerland's Federal Office of Public Health, said on Friday.
The government is going to request passenger lists for some 20-30 flights arriving in Switzerland every week and then randomly check if people are adhering to self-isolation rules, as the country has no capacity to control every traveler. Switzerland currently requires travelers from high-risk COVID-19 countries to stay in quarantine for at least 10 days.
"About 10 percent of coronavirus cases are imported by those who return from abroad," Mathis said.
The first list of passengers was already sent to Swiss cantons on Thursday, while random checks of people arriving from abroad on buses were set to start on Monday.
Switzerland considers 29 countries, including Russia, Brazil, the United States and Sweden, to be high-risk areas where the coronavirus is spreading at a high rate. The maximum fine for breaking the quarantine amounts to 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,600).
