This was what the round table looked like on March 4th, which was not quite so in reality. Image: KEYSTONE / archive image
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Berset invites you to a round table at short notice: do cantons agree on a mask requirement?
The Federal Council will meet with the cantons today. It is to be explored which corona measures are necessary. The mask requirement will also be discussed.
The Federal Council relies on personal responsibility – but this is not perceived by many citizens. Various media reports in recent days have shown that the trains, trams and buses are getting fuller again – but the mask over the mouth and nose is rare. In view of the increasing number of infections, many ask the question: Does personal responsibility really work or does one have to Mask requirement her?
Exactly this question is being discussed tonight. Federal Councilor Alain Berset has invited the cantonal health ministers, cantonal doctors and representatives of the Conference of Cantonal Governments (KdK).
The latter, however, canceled participation at short notice. Roland Mayer, the general secretary KdK, confirms a corresponding report from «Look». The invitation from Berset’s department did not come until Friday. “It was too short to send someone,” Mayer says to watson. He was also irritated by the fact that the attitudes and opinions of the cantonal governments should be heard – but they were not given the time to discuss them internally.
The cantons have been competent to deal with the crisis for nine days.
Round table should prevent patchwork
Of the Daily scoreboard first reported on the “crisis summit”, but the article is likely to create greater expectations of a mask requirement than is the case. “The term crisis summit is misleading,” says Christian Favre, spokesman for Berset’s department. Today’s meeting with the cantons is about a discussion round to explore the possibilities, measures and positions of the cantons.
With such talks, the Federal Council wants to create coordination aid for the cantons, because the competence to act has returned to the cantons since the “special situation” was declared. The aim is to prevent a patchwork if the cantons decide on local measures.
Many cantons do not want to go it alone
A national decision on the mask requirement therefore seems unlikely today. It is possible, however, that cantonal representatives agree on certain measures and decide on them locally. Opinions differ, however, in part massively, as the “Sunday look” showed.
Only four cantons spoke in favor of a mask requirement, six opposed (including Zurich). Eight cantons do not want to go it alone and would therefore be open to a uniform regulation.
Who will prevail will be shown in the evening. The interior department announced that it would communicate results. If there is no decision, the Federal Council could act on Wednesday – then the state government will meet for the last meeting before the summer holidays. Although the cantons have competence in the “special situation”, the Epidemic Act still allows the Federal Council to take “measures against the population”.
