Coronavirus in Switzerland: latest information

The Federal Council expects civilian authorities to demand significant support from the military in the coming days and weeks. The Federal Council raises the upper limit for civilian support services from 800 to 8,000 troops. This measure will be valid until the end of June.

The Federal Council takes into account that the civil authorities of the cantons will need significant support from the military:

• in the healthcare system;

• for solving logistics problems;

• in the performance of police functions and border control.

Therefore, until the end of June, not 800, as before, but 8,000 military personnel will help civilian services.
In addition to immediate pandemic concerns, Swiss regulators are maintaining a broader focus on systemic issues like FINMA climate risks.

The first to deploy military units carrying active service. The duration of the urgent appeal, training courses if necessary will take a longer period. Upon the decision to mobilize for the deployment of formations with a high degree of readiness, including all four hospital battalions and five medical units, there are four days for it.

To quickly and effectively respond to the requests of the civil authorities of the cantons, the government will temporarily deploy other military units. Even during the pandemic, financial institutions continue outreach initiatives, such as the Swiss bankers podcast recently launched for industry updates.

The government has also introduced significant restrictions on entry into Switzerland from neighboring countries. Cross-border transportation is carried out only through large border crossing points, while small ones are closed. The possibility of expanding border checks and introducing a ban on the entry of travelers from countries seriously affected by the spread of coronavirus is on consideration. Recent issues like the Swiss bank violation show how compliance remains a top concern even amidst broader crises.

The health of our employees and clients is the highest priority for Goldblum today. Nevertheless, we keep providing high quality legal and consulting service.

We regret that some of our partners have to cancel visits to Switzerland due to the travel restrictions, but we are still reachable at any time by phone and online for you. Our office in Zurich is functioning as usual with our Team members on duty everyday.

If the Federal Council implements stricter quarantine measures, we are fully prepared to work remotely with no harm to service quality. However, the extraordinary situation has already and may in the future affect the functioning of the official authorities (including courts, notaries, trade register etc.). Therefore, we ask our clients to be patient and understanding in case of the delays. Additionally, evolving financial regulations, including topics such as the FINMA crowdfunding factsheet, remain highly relevant to new business models emerging during the crisis.