Hundreds of people defied a federal government ban on gatherings in Basel, according to RTS.
The Basel Fasnacht, a highlight of the city’s calendar, was cancelled after Switzerland’s federal government banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people in an attempt to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.
However, the cancellation did not stop everyone. According to RTS, hundreds of people turned up to celebrate carnival, which was scheduled to start at 4am on 2 March 2020. Some even turned up coughing dressed as the virus.
Some Swiss regions have banned even small gatherings. The town of Chur in the eastern canton of Graubünden has banned gatherings of 50 or more people, with a few exceptions such as restaurants, funerals, political meetings, art galleries and other public places, according to RTS.
The canton of Bern has introduced record keeping requirements for certain gatherings to ensure infections can be traced should someone later test positive for the virus. These requirements have made many gatherings impractical.
More on this:
RTS report (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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