SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Swiss soldiers confined to base after virus case
Geneva, March 3 (AFP) Mar 03, 2020
The Swiss army said Tuesday that all soldiers would be confined to base after a case of the new coronavirus was discovered in their ranks.

A man tested positive for COVID-19 Monday as he was preparing to carry out a required military refresher course, the Swiss armed forces said in a statement.

In Switzerland, which has confirmed 37 cases since the virus first emerged in the country a week ago, the army is organised as a militia, with conscripts carrying out a short initial training and then being called back in for several weeks of training each year.

During the health screening required before the course, the infected man revealed that he had recently returned from Milan in northern Italy, the statement said.

Italy is the European country hardest hit by the outbreak, it said, adding: "He is in stable condition."

The three people in his room were immediately quarantined, as were other conscripts who had come into contact with him.

The army said it had also decided to limit the movement of on-duty troops to ensure they will be ready to respond quickly if needed.

Soldiers can still leave their barracks but have been asked not to do unless absolutely necessary, army spokesman Daniel Reist told AFP.

In a bid to rein in the spread, Switzerland on Friday suspended all events with more than 1,000 participants until March 15, forcing the cancellation of among others of the Geneva International Motor Show.

In Geneva, which is home to the United Nations and a wide range of international organisations, several cases have surfaced, including one at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

"We can confirm that one member of EBU staff tested positive for COVID-19 following their return from northern Italy earlier last week," spokesman David Goodman told AFP, adding that some personnel had been quarantined in their homes as a precaution.

As more countries announce restrictions on events in a bid to tame the virus, he said the EBU was "looking at various possible scenarios" for this year's edition of the hugely popular Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled to be held in the Netherlands in May.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
NASA raises chance for asteroid to hit moon
BlackSky plans new satellite network for large-scale AI-driven Earth observation
Fish biofluorescence evolved independently over 100 times in evolutionary history

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Europe's lithium quest hampered by China and lack of cash
ArcelorMittal stops 'green' steel projects in Germany
Thailand credits prey releases for 'extraordinary' tiger recovery

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Trump 'Golden Dome' plan tricky and expensive: experts
France finds cash for 'strategic asset' satellite firm Eutelsat
British FM says 'window now exists' for diplomacy with Iran

24/7 News Coverage
How did life survive 'Snowball Earth'? In ponds, study suggests
Arctic warming spurs growth of carbon-soaking peatlands
Climate change could double summer rainfall in the Alps: study



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.