Shortening Quarantine?

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
Not sure if this goes under travel of health...

On this site:

https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home...html#996315808

it states that I can reduce the 10 day quarantine to 7 days

That said, I cannot find how to contact the Aargau authorities to do this. (after being on hold for a LONG time, I've gotten nowhere, and still waiting for a response to my email).

Ideas?

2
Ditto on the FOPH info line (selecting both German and English).

3
Spinal, see here .

4
I ended up calling the Aargau hotline, their advice was to use the non-vaccinated form, but to also upload my PLF and vaccination certificate as well.

She said that I could do a covid test from day 4 to day 7, that I didn't need to wait until day 7... and they could confirm that on day 7 I can be released...

So I'll try that, now just looking for somewhere to do a test, as the pharmacy near my house said they would charge to these tests despite the site clearly saying it's free...

5
Thanks so much for this. Just returned home to Zürich last night from the UK. The ZH website says that Cantonal approval for early release is no longer required, simply a Day 7 test at a testing centre. We will call the hotline and find out what we have to do. Many thanks for sharing the information.

6
Please let us know how that worked? Might need this next week. Thanks!

7
BAG clearly stated yesterday that these tests were free. It was said in the very beginning of the yesterday's press conference.

8
Do you have a link for that? I'll send it to the Aargau people (they seem quite pragmatic), and if they respond that I don't need to send it all in for approval, then that would save me time!

9
We called the ZH Hotline ... waited a considerable time whilst being "entertained" by a song in Swiss German about waiting in phone queues ... to be told that the Website is incorrect and that there is no test to release facility with the new variant. Apparently the Hotline has been inundated with calls from people returning from the UK and the representative described the whole thing as a joke and that everything is changing almost minute by minute. We are left unsure what to do in reality.

The only bit of information we were given that might be of use is that any tests are free. Boarding card or an email confirmation of your flight should suffice as proof. Obviously this makes no sense as we were told we wouldn't be released early from quarantine anyway.

We have gone ahead and booked PCR tests for Day 7 and will try to get some definitive information before then. All rather frustrating.

10
I don't think shortening of quarantine applies to travellers from an area with variant of concern. That page seems to be for people who have tested positive or been in contact with a positive person. It for example says you don't have to quarantine if vaccinated.

This page for example mentions nothing about shortening https://www.zh.ch/de/gesundheit/coro...elden_eng.html

BAG have also now introduced a mandatory test whilst in quarantine https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home...nreisende.html

11
Unbelievably I don't now. Both my husband and I read it before both on the English and German pages. Just went to copy it for you and the page I looked at no longer says anything about early release. I am sorry.

https://www.zh.ch/de/gesundheit/coro...elden_eng.html

Alarmingly it states now that everyone in a household must go into quarantine unless it's possible to isolate from other members. We have two adult sons who live at home. Is it really expected that they should go into quarantine too?

12
Annoying, but makes sense - otherwise what's the point in anyone being in quarantine, they give it to a family member in the house and the family member takes it out into the general population.

13
True enough, luckily for us we have another home. Back on the Hotline from hell to ask if we can go there.

14
The Aargau page is quite clear about the 7-day release:

Source: https://www.ag.ch/de/themen_1/corona...907&accordId=0

(Google translate:

You have the option of shortening the travel quarantine from the 7th day if you are tested from the 7th day of your quarantine and receive a negative test result.

You are nevertheless obliged to wear the mask outside of your home until the end of the 10th day (end of quarantine).

In addition, the negative result must be reported to the following address: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) . Quarantine may only be left after confirmation by email from the Conti. If the test is positive, isolation instructions apply )

Seems like maybe ZH don't want to deal with approving the tests, and just mandate 10 days... While AG is still in line with BAG... for now... Hopefully a perk for living just over the border

15
I also returned from the UK last night and also called the hotline (what an efficient time of government resources...) and they were very clear that the day 7 test to release does not apply for arrivals from high risk countries if you live in the canton of Zurich.

By the way, since I always found the wording about when they start counting the days, I also asked about that. The rules are as follows (accurate for the Canton of Zurich on the morning of 30 November):

Arrival in Switzerland before 12:00 CET -> the day of arrival counts as Day 1 of your quarantine.

Arrival in Switzerland after 12:00 CET -> the following day is your Day 1.

By the way, the lass at the Newcastle Airport check-in had no idea that new rules have come into effect and would have happily let me on the plane without seeing a PCR. She was also not aware of the restrictions relating to vaccine status and nationality, i.e. that unvaccinated individuals who do not fall under the "freedom of movement" or special exemption category cannot currently enter Switzerland. I mention this because some people tend to go by the logic of "surely they wouldn't let me on the plane if I was not allowed to go there". Unfortunately (and understandably), you cannot rely on airport staff to keep abreast of situations like this, heck, the Swiss government has only just managed to update its Travelcheck page to reflect the latest changes, more than 48 hours after they were announced.

16
The bit in bold is not actually correct. Non resident British nationals are allowed to enter Switzerland at the moment as long as they fulfil certain conditions. Travel check will tell you if you’re allowed to enter or not.

17
Thank you. Yes, the decision seems to have been taken that there is no early release in any Canton now. I have completed our online registration quarantine forms, but haven't received any SMS.

London City was much more on the ball with the new regulations. Unfortunately the test centre there was overwhelmed by the amount of additional customers and we received an email saying that they were unable to meet the three hour reporting deadline and would try and give us conclusive results within 2 hours but that wasn't guaranteed. We were in the middle of enjoying a huge plate of sushi in Canary Wharf and so jumped into a cab (leaving a whole platter untouched) to try and get an Antigen test. There was another person flying to CH in the same situation and after a bit of verbal muscle flexing, a phone call was made and our results came through.

Of all the money wasted on this little venture (being told to do a PCR test when an antigen would suffice), taking a taxi from the airport yesterday to try and minimise contact (even though we had pre-purchased first class rail tickets), it's that sushi platter that grieves me the most!

18
Obsolete as revealed to be incorrect following information from Belgianmum and doublechecking thereof on the [Travelcheck website .]

19
The rules have been clarified since Sunday and most people travelling from the UK are allowed to do so as long as they are fully vaccinated with one of the approved vaccines.

I have had this confirmed by both the British consulate and the BAG hotline.

20
Wow, well, I was given different information this morning. What a mess, they really need to sort themselves out! I shall re-amend my post, thanks for keeping the facts straight