The St. Gallen Cantonal Councilor Christopher Chandiramani describes the actions of the St. Gallen government as surprising and thinks that the now stricter cantonal measures were rather involuntary.
The St. Gallen Cantonal Councilor Christopher Chandiramani describes the actions of the St. Gallen government as surprising and thinks that the cantonal measures were rather involuntary.
- Commentary by Cantonal Councilor Christopher Chandiramani
Last week, the Federal Council massively strengthened the measures against the corona virus nationwide and granted the cantons the right to go further with regard to restrictions. The main controversial issue is the mask requirement, in the canton of St. Gallen, especially in secondary and vocational schools, which fundamentally contradicts Article 11 of the Federal Constitution (child protection). One is also unhappy with the partial closure of hospitals in our canton. The restriction in bars, clubs and restaurants is particularly difficult for the companies concerned.
Panic situation due to increasing case numbers
The actions of the St. Gallen government came as a surprise, the government was initially considered to be rather hesitant, but also thoughtful and acting with a sense of proportion and common sense. With the increasing number of Covid 19 cases, a panic situation suddenly arose everywhere. The cantonal measures are apparently involuntary, due to pressure from the federal government and neighboring cantons, presumably also from abroad – all for fear of a second lockdown and a return to distance learning in schools. A new ban on visits to hospitals and the shielding of care patients and senior citizens in old people’s homes also makes them unhappy. It is precisely these people who need our contacts and attention, especially in the coming Advent and Christmas season.
Masks: Long wearing is harmful
The mask requirement is the most controversial. You don’t have to have a medical degree to know that masks are unhealthy. When worn for long periods of time, there is a lack of oxygen and CO2 stagnation, damp airways and an accumulation of bacteria. Parents of high school students are right to be concerned. Oxygen is important for our youth to grow up. If there is a deficiency, nerve cells die and are never replaced. The whole discussion reflects a certain incompetence of the state government.
A seamless transition from a mask ban in spring to a mask requirement in autumn meets with incomprehension. Apparently, the stocks of masks from China ordered and purchased by the Federal Council must be sold at a profit. It has never been proven that masks are medically protective enough, especially outdoors. Facial covering protects against bad looks, mobbing, physical attacks and informers or “auxiliary police”.
Health policy can also be criticized
Criticism can also be made of federal and cantonal health policy. You have money for everything else, for example for public transport, education, military asylum, etc. But with the population increasing, there is constant discussion about numerus clausus in the training of doctors, savings for nursing staff and hospital closures. Actually, there are always more patients and hospital admissions at the beginning of the cooler season. For this one should provide the capacities and not reduce them.
Lockdown: Should cost around 100 billion
According to our own observations, there are also a number of shortcomings in the fight against pandemics. For example, in grocery stores there are still bread, fruit and vegetables, etc. sold by the open. Bus drivers do not have to wear masks, even though they are in the so-called “contaminated” room the longest. Cash is increasingly bad-talked, in contrast to the keyboards for credit card codes at the check-out points are never cleaned or disinfected. Consequently, one would have to control that too.
The spring lockdown is likely to cost the federal treasury and the cantons and municipalities around 100 billion, including Covid loans and the consequences of short-time work and layoffs and destroyed livelihoods. Multi-generation tax money is simply gone.
At least 9 articles of the constitution violated
From a legal perspective, too, the Federal Council should still learn a lot. With the fight against corona and the lockdown, at least 9 constitutional articles (fundamental rights) were violated (for example, freedom of trade and commerce, the ban on assembly, restricted freedom of expression, right of initiative, protection from arbitrariness, protection of good faith, right to life and personal freedom, protection of privacy etc.).
Also the circulars of the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), attempts to intimidate the doctors who issue mask dispensations are controversial, at best not legal. It is also incorrect to put pressure on and atone for the store owners if they let people in without masks to go shopping. After all, the Federal Council itself wrote that any mask compulsion is a coercion (Art 181 StGB). This is in the Federal Council’s message on the ban on veiling from 2019.
Questions and approaches winter session
Discrimination against the disabled (mask dispensers) is also inadmissible and is prohibited according to the constitution (Art. 8). This is also mentioned in the European Convention on Human Rights (Art 14), which Switzerland has signed. All core contents of the basic rights also apply to emergency law (Art 36 Federal Constitution).
The winter session of the St. Gallen Cantonal Council takes place at the end of November. The government will probably have to prepare for questions and approaches. “
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Christopher Chandiramani, Cantonal Council of St. Gallen
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