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Keystone
![From Monday onwards, a mask is mandatory in public transport.]()
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From Monday onwards, a mask is mandatory in public transport.
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Keystone
![The Federal Council decided on Wednesday.]()
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The Federal Council decided on Wednesday.
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Keystone
![Now the first calls for free masks are being made.]()
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Now the first calls for free masks are being made.
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Keystone
![The Unia union would like to see free masks in train stations.]()
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The Unia union would like to see free masks in train stations.
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For all those traveling by tram, train or bus, the following applies from Monday: Travel only «upstairs». The Federal Council yesterday decided to wear a protective mask for public transport.
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As soon as the decision was announced, the first calls for free masks were heard. The Juso announced on Twitter: “Nobody should have to endanger his or her health for financial reasons.” And the Unia union immediately duplicated that the mask requirement was good, but “free masks better”.
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Dispensing in pharmacies
“There are many people in Switzerland who rely on every franc,” says Juso President Ronja Jansen (25). It therefore suggests that pharmacies dispense the masks free of charge – funded by the federal government. “The advantage over mass mailing to all households would be that even people without a permanent home could easily stock up with masks.”
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In the Defense Department (VBS) of Viola Amherd, plans for free parcel delivery were said to have been rolled over to all households at the end of April. According to the NZZ, this idea was rejected shortly before the first easing steps.
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According to the Unia trade union, the federal government should primarily accommodate commuters. Because a big mask wear is waiting for them, you have to dispose of a hygiene mask after wearing it once. The union suggests that public transport workers – such as SBB – distribute free masks in the train stations.
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300 million masks
However, the federal government does not want to know about the ideas. “Switzerland-wide support is currently not planned,” said BAG spokesman Daniel Dauwalder when asked. The masks could still be bought from wholesalers, pharmacies and drugstores at the market price.
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The Federal Council commissioned the army pharmacy to procure the masks during the Corona crisis. So far it has bought over 300 million hygiene masks. The federal government advances the money for the purchase of the masks and the buyers – such as the cantons – reimburse the money.
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The cantons can also hand in free masks independently. This is how it happened in the canton of Jura: People who cannot pay their health insurance premiums are already entitled to free masks.
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