UK IS ON THE SWISS QUARANTINE LIST,
HOW WORRIED SHOULD YOU BE?

The Swiss authorities have just announced that the UK is to join the list of nations requiring quarantine upon arrival in Switzerland.

So is it a surprise? Is it a worry? And does it mean your course is at risk?

WHAT’S HAPPENED?

It seems like only a week ago that the UK placed Switzerland on its quarantine list.

Now the UK case rate has accelerated past the Swiss, so the Swiss require visitors from the UK to quarantine when they arrive.

It means that if you arrive from the UK you need to register with the local Canton and isolate for ten days.

If you merely transited the UK then it’s not an issue – less than 24 hours in a “high risk” country just counts as transiting according to Swiss advice we have been given.

But crucially these quarantine lists are always changing – the Swiss one is updated every 14 days and countries are constantly being removed as well as added.

So if the UK’s new measures can reduce case-rates, we will see the UK come off the list in a few weeks time and we can all forget about it…

A lot of local businesses are already saying that it’s a temporary measure, meanwhile there is a lot of discussion about nations replacing the long quarantines with a test when you arrive, five days isolation and then a new test.

IS IT A SURPRISE?

Well, not really. The UK national case rate is over 50 per 100,000 and the Swiss threshold for quarantine is 60. So factor in some areas of the UK are well above the 60 rate, and it’s not a shock.

Perhaps we had expected a week more before they dropped the bombshell.

But it’s not a shock – more a disappointment. It would have been good to wait until the UK breached the full 60 case threshold, and probably fair to allow the new measures to take effect.

But it is, as politicians say, what it is.

And it’s certainly not a disaster – it actually means that Switzerland is ‘safer’ than the UK and other risk nations, so you’re better off here…

WHAT ABOUT DOING A GAP COURSE?

Well, first of all don’t panic.

We have been aware of the risk of quarantine for months – and we have been readying plans so that if you come into Switzerland for a course but need to quarantine, then we can sort it all out.

After all, if you are coming for 10 weeks – or for the full season of about 22 weeks – arriving ten days early isn’t a disaster.

In fact we are already finalising quarantine plans for non-European trainees. To simply arrange more won’t be a problem.

And this is a formality – it means you arrive early, do the required 10 days then get out and start your course.

As our trainees up skiing powder in Saas Fee today will tell you, it’s worth the wait…

WHAT ABOUT COMING TO VERBIER?

We are already planning a few early arrivals to facilitate quarantine on the Verbier course so – if the quarantine is still in place come November – we will simply ask trainees who need to self-isolate to come ten days early and then set them up with accommodation that can be catered or self-catered.

If you are worried then please get in touch and we can talk you through the plans.

But the biggest thing is that it might well be removed before you even set foot in Geneva airport, so don’t panic.

We’re always here to chat so if you have a question just call Guy or Emma or send a message and we’ll be very happy to explain everything.