FILE PHOTO: Passengers wear protective masks as they enter a tram of public transport operator Verkehrsbetriebe Zurich , as the coronavirus disease outbreak continues, in Zurich, Switzerland July 6, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannZURICH: Swiss health officials refrained from new nationwide measures to curb spread of the novel coronavirus as the number of infections mounted on Thursday , instead urging residents to redouble their efforts to embrace existing hygiene and distancing recommendations.
New infections rose by 2,613 cases on Thursday, the second-highest daily total after Wednesday's record. "The goal is to avoid a lockdown and overloading hospitals," he said, noting the situation was not comparable to February and March, when the pandemic took authorities by surprise.He said he saw no reason to stop large events like soccer and ice hockey matches given elaborate safety regimes in place.
That is when it handed responsibility to cantons, where rules on public gatherings and mask requirements vary widely.