Why we are voting on the Covid law for the third time

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When the Covid pandemic reached Switzerland in 2020, the Federal Council had to act quickly. He invoked the Epidemics Act – and the Emergency Act. With the Covid-19 Act, parliament then created a temporary basis so that the pandemic could be fought further without an emergency law. In December 2022, parliament extended part of the Covid-19 Act until mid-2024, so that certain measures can remain readily available in case of an emergency.

Should the corona numbers rise again, the government could act quickly in an emergency to protect particularly vulnerable people and the health system: for example, it could require employers to allow particularly vulnerable people to work from home.

With the expanded provisions, medicines against serious Covid diseases can still be imported and used, even if they are not yet approved in Switzerland. The federal government can also use the law to issue a Covid certificate should it again be required for travel abroad.

In case of possible border closures, the federal government must by law ensure that border commuters can continue to enter the country.

The “No Measures” committee launched the referendum and collected enough signatures. Behind the commission are the associations Mass-Voll and the “Friends of the Constitution”. During the pandemic, these movements viewed the Federal Council’s Corona policy as wrong and criticized the Covid-19 certificate in particular.

The No Committee writes on its website that the current Epidemics Act is more than sufficient to protect the population against pathogens. “The extensive legal provisions provide the possibility to reintroduce a certificate and other discriminatory measures such as contact tracing at any time,” they fear. This violated fundamental rights. The federal government itself declared the pandemic over and lifted all measures. Therefore, he should now not renew the expired parts of the Covid 19 law.

The corona measures have now been almost completely lifted. However, it is logical that the Bundesrat should continue to have tried and tested instruments at its disposal, the Greens write in their press release. Think of corona tests or issuing corona certificates, for example for traveling abroad.

The expansion of individual provisions of the Covid-19 law, according to its proponents, provides a clean and democratically legitimized legal basis for these instruments.

The SVP is the only governing party to adopt the official no slogan so far. FDP National Councilor Marcel Dobler (42) also joined the committee for a no. On May 5, his party will decide how to position itself. Centrum, GLP, SP and Groenen are in favor of the yes slogan. The cantons also support the extension. The conference of cantonal governments wrote in a statement that the Covid-19 law ensures that the federal government and the cantons are well aligned even in the normal situation that is now back in force.

If the extension is rejected by Swiss voters, the Covid provisions will expire in mid-December 2023. Among other things, there would then no longer be a legal basis for issuing and checking a Covid certificate or for a possible reactivation of the tracking app. But as I said, even if you say yes, the provisions of the law will only apply until mid-2024.

But. The Covid-19 law has been in force since September 2020 and has since been amended several times by parliament. So far, the electorate has supported the law with two referendum votes each time. In June 2021 and November 2021, over 60.2 and 62 percent respectively said yes to the Covid law.

Source:Blick