Avoiding Travel to High-Risk Areas

Dear TASIS Community,

I hope you all enjoy a well-deserved break this weekend, and I greatly appreciate all of your efforts throughout this challenging start to the school year. Before the school week is out, I wanted to call your attention to the latest list of countries and areas with a high-risk of infection and remind you that if your family travels to any of these regions at any point over the course of the next four days, you will be required to serve a 10-day quarantine upon your return to Switzerland.

As we pointed out in Friday's Weekly Bulletins, there is an exemption for "transit passengers who have spent less than 24 hours in a country or area with an increased risk of infection." It is very important to note, however, that this exemption only applies to those who are in transit only—and not to anyone who visits a high-risk region for fewer than 24 hours. For example, a person who owns a house in a nearby region that is on the list (e.g. Veneto, Italy, or Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France) is not allowed to drive to the house, spend half a day there, and then safely return to Switzerland within the 24-hour window. This person would be required to observe the 10-day quarantine upon his or her return.

Thank you very much for your attention to this matter, and we also recommend that you keep a close eye on the Federal Office of Public Health's website, as further announcements are expected from the Swiss Federal Council later today. We will of course provide updates about how any new measures could affect TASIS as needed.

Wishing you all a safe and restful weekend,

Christopher Nikoloff
TASIS Headmaster