Zurich Facemask Wearing Update and Mandatory in Shops
Zurich follows Basel as the second German-speaking canton to require customers to wear face masks in shops and shopping centres due to the spread of the new coronavirus. The new rule is effective in Zurich from August 27. It was expected because it already applies in the cantons of Vaud, Geneva and Neuchâtel in the French-speaking regions. A rise in cases in recent weeks meant the seven-day rolling average for Switzerland reached 257.4 new cases per day, a 19% increase from the previous week. The canton of Zurich is currently the worst-affected region – a 27% increase from the previous week as the virus spreads rapidly amongst those aged below 40 years of age. In addition to the face masks in shops, Zurich restaurants will be obliged to collect customers’ contact details to assist with tracing. Name and phone number will be collected which in some ways is great news for marketeers who can add these clients into a CRM system for later follow-up. Stricter measures have also been introduced for clubs, bars and restaurants, where a 100-person limit will be tolerated for inside. Larger events and gatherings are possible for up to 300 people, but only with social distancing
