Switzerland to Shorten Validity of Vaccination Certificates From February 1

Switzerland is the latest country to announce that it will accept as valid, starting February 1, only vaccination certificates issued by people who have received their vaccines within the last 270-days.

The Swiss Federal Council took the decision at a meeting on Wednesday, January 12th. Other decisions regarding COVID-19 limitations were also made during these meetings.

" The Federal Council plans to reduce the validity period for all forms of vaccination certificates from 365 days to 270 days and ensure that they remain valid in the EU," said the Council in a press release.

The validity period for COVID-19 certificates of recovery will be reduced to 270 days starting February 1.

According to a Commission of the European Union decision of December 21, 2021, all vaccination certificates should only be valid for nine months.

>> Official - EU makes COVID-19 vaccine certificates valid for only 9 months starting February 1, 2022

Based on the recommendation of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC), the Commission has determined the validity period for vaccination certificates. Boost shots should only be administered within six months following the last dose.

" The Certificate will be valid for an additional three-month grace period beyond the six months to allow national vaccination campaigns to adjust and citizens to have access to booster doses," said the Commission on December 21.

While most of the EU and Schengen countries have announced that they will reduce the validity of their vaccination certificates, others like Austria already do.

>> Everything You Need to Learn About COVID-19's New Validity Rules for EU-Travel

The Commission decided on Wednesday to reduce the time between isolation and full contact from ten to five business days. Today's decision is effective immediately. To be eligible for the fifth day of the quarantine, a person must not have any symptoms for at least 48 hours before they can be released from isolation.

Research has shown that Omicron virus variant transmission is more rapid than previously thought. This is why quarantine durations are shorter.

The Council also agreed at its meeting to extend current Coronavirus measures up until March 31. These measures were put into effect on December 17, and are set to expire on January 24,

>> Switzerland tightens restrictions, allows vaccinated and recovered travelers to enter with antigen tests December 17