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Police officers in front of the Federal Palace in Bern: cordoned off for fear of riots
Photo: ARND WIEGMANN / REUTERS
In the referendum on the Covid-19 law in Switzerland, according to initial projections, a clear majority came out in favor of the corona regulations.
According to this, around 60 percent of the Swiss voted “Yes”.
The law is intended to create a legally secure basis for the controversial corona certificate, with which the Swiss should prove a corona vaccination, recovery or negative testing.
However, the political mood in the country is charged as rarely.
Since September, the certificate has to be shown when visiting restaurants and bars, among other things.
It has been causing a dispute in the country for weeks.
There have been repeated protests across the country against the certificate and other corona measures.
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Some of the protests turned into violence.
The police also reported a drastic increase in threats of violence and death against politicians who advocate tightened corona measures.
Concerned that riots could occur, the square in front of the Bern parliament building was cordoned off for the first time this Sunday.
Just like other countries, Switzerland has been experiencing an increase in corona numbers since mid-October.
With around 65 percent fully vaccinated, the Alpine country also has a lower vaccination rate than other Western European countries.
However, the government has so far rejected any tightening of the corona measures at national level and refers to the still relatively low occupancy of the intensive care beds with Covid-19 patients of 20 percent.
asa / AFP