“The virus is no fun, not even for the fun society at the weekend,” said Zurich health director Natalie Rickli, clearly visibly annoyed on Sunday afternoon. The reason for her anger: In a Zurich club, a so-called superspreader – a particularly infectious person – infected at least five party guests with the corona virus.
Actually, almost 300 club guests and employees should now be in quarantine so that the virus can not spread. So much for the theory. The problem with this: Although the authorities received a list of contact details of the party guests from the club operator with some delay, many have given incorrect information. About a third of the given email addresses were wrong, said the Zurich cantonal doctor Christiane Meier.
According to the authorities, it was not a typo. Rather, the addresses were extra wrong, invented, sometimes with vulgar expressions. Some party guests obviously made a joke of leaving false names and contact details. At the same time, the list was apparently not complete: according to the authorities, people who had also been in the club – but did not act on the list – came forward.
Club operator not available for a long time
As if that weren’t enough: According to cantonal doctor Meier, it took a long time before the authorities could even reach the club operator. The “Superspreader” was at the Flamingo Club on June 21st. Four days later, he tested positive for Covid-19; five people who had been in the club with him later also fell ill. The authorities received the report on June 26, and they were only able to reach the club operator on June 27. So valuable time passed – time when the virus may have spread.
Natalie Rickli said she was “totally upset”: “It doesn’t work that way.” The canton could ban events and close clubs, she warned. For the time being, however, the SVP councilor is looking for an interview. “We are again discussing with the clubs how to improve the situation.” The operators are responsible. Rickli called on her to check the guests’ identity cards to make sure that the information was correct. Club operators and guests will therefore still have a chance.
The Zurich bar and club commission did not want to comment further on the case on Sunday. She wanted to wait for a meeting with the canton first, said a spokesman. In a statement on the website, the commission pointed out that thanks to the measures, events would become known if there were infections – unlike in public transport, for example. And the commission promised that it would continue to do everything possible to protect the freedoms and health of the guests that had been regained.
Cantonal doctor worried about upcoming vacation
New infections did not only occur in the canton of Zurich in nightlife. Other cases have also been reported from sporting events and a flight, said Rickli. She criticized: “Our calls to be careful have not been followed.” There have been 46 new cases in the Canton of Zurich since Friday morning.
Cantonal doctor Meier was concerned about this – also with regard to the holidays. At the moment it was mainly young people who were infected. But if the virus circulates among them, vulnerable people are also at risk. Meier therefore appealed to the population: “Everyone should behave as if they were infectious themselves.”
Scientists call for additional measures
The number of confirmed cases has also increased across Switzerland. The Federal Office of Public Health reported 69 confirmed cases on Saturday and 62 on Sunday. That is twice as many as on the weekend before. In an interview with Radio SRF, Federal Councilor Alain Berset warned against taking the virus lightly.
The scientific task force is now pushing for additional measures: it is now recommending a mask requirement in public transport, as the “SonntagsZeitung” reported. In addition, travelers from certain countries should go to quarantine.
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