At the end of June 2020, a 21 year old woman, who knew she had tested positive for Covid-19, organised a party in Grenchen (Granges) in the Swiss canton of Solothurn.
As a result of the party, 280 residents were required to quarantine, according to the newspaper Blick, reported 20 Minutes. The public prosecutor has opened an investigation into the affair, however, due to privacy rules no details have been released on exactly what went on or who might be guilty.
The newspaper was unable to contact the woman, however, a friend said she was overwhelmed by the reaction and didn’t want to talk about it.
The public prosecutor confirmed that a complaint had been filed and an investigation had been opened. According to Blick, the complaint was probably filed by the cantonal medical office because the woman’s actions had led to other people being infected. Under Swiss law, the woman could be fined as much as CHF 10,000.
A couple set to be married were among those quarantined. As a result they were forced to cancel their marriage ceremony. The couple could file a claim for a reimbursement of the money they lost against anyone found responsible. According to one expert, the couple would have a good chance of winning such a case.
A similar case could be filed in Austria. Reports of a mass lawsuit targeting events in the Austrian resort of Ischgl, a Covid-19 hotspot, emerged in June 2020. The resort continued to operate after authorities in Iceland sent detailed information on cases of infection originating from the resort.
More on this:
20 Minutes article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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