the introduction of Schengen-border controls, worked out by The Federal Council on Friday adopted a temporary back well so far. As a first assessment of the Director of the Federal customs administration (EVZ), Christian Bock was on Saturday, in Chiasso, TI.
The new rules will apply for Friday at 15.30. Since then, the entry is only allowed for Swiss citizens, persons with a residence permit in Switzerland, as well as people who need to travel for professional reasons in Switzerland. It was a “mirror measures”, the Italy on the 8. and 9. March had taken, said ECC Director Bock in front of the media at the border crossing Chiasso-Strada.
The vehicle volumes in the private transport from Italy to Ticino had declined to 60 per cent, said the customs Director. Up on Sunday morning, 288 people had been refused entry.
The number of commuters, who were between 4 am and 11.30 o’clock entered the country, have already of 68’000 to 28’000 vehicles reduced. The long queues that had formed during the week after the introduction of enhanced controls, were virtually gone.
eerie silence
During the information event in Chiasso on Saturday, only individual vehicles passed through the border crossing, a correspondent of the news Agency Keystone-SDA observed on-site. There was an eerie silence at a border crossing, normally on a Saturday is busy.
“There are no particular problems, the people have understood the problem,” said the Ticino district customs Director and commander Silvio Tognetti. The decline in vehicle traffic was particularly felt in Chiasso (on the two Transitions Strada and Brogeda), less, for example, in Stabio. The staff was sufficient to drive the new Regime.
The border to Italy, with 800 kilometres, the longest part of the Swiss internal borders with the adjacent States. Nine smaller border crossings from the Ticino to Italy were closed. At all other border-systematic checks are transitions made. In addition, as previously, behind the land controls by the border and the green border is monitored.
Without protection masks
At the border have been so far made no specific Coronavirus precautions crossings to Germany, France and Austria. The authorities try to prevent the bypassing traffic.
The border guards in Chiasso, working without respirators, for example, while the seller will carry the inner of the retailers in the Ticino since Saturday such masks. “We follow the guidelines of the Federal office for health,” said Bock on the question of why the border guards not to wear masks. Only the one who was sick, had to wear a mask.
the Transit and the goods are allowed to continue. Finally, people may enter in a Situation of absolute necessity from Italy.
The entry restrictions serve primarily to protect the Swiss population against infection with the Coronavirus, as well as the capacities in the Swiss health care system to maintain. Furthermore, they support the effectiveness of the Italian regulations against the spread of the Coronavirus.
The Federal Council is monitoring the situation continuously and the measures taken at the border will be apply if necessary to travellers from other countries or regions. (red/sda)
Created: 14.03.2020, 16:39 PM
