Hundreds of protesters marched in Switzerland on Saturday against the restrictions of the coronavirus after the health minister said the current restrictions will remain in effect until the end of February.
About 500 protesters marched through the Swiss city of Zug to protest what they see as unfair restrictions, Reuters says reported.
Switzerland tightened its rules last month, closing non-essential stores, making masks mandatory in stores that remain open, allowing employees to work from home if possible and limiting meetings to five people.
Reuters reported that protesters protested against Swiss Extension of restrictions by Health Minister Alain Berset wore protective suits and carried signs that read, “Mask wearing is modern day slavery.”
Most countries around the world affected by the coronavirus require their citizens to wear masks, as health officials have said facial covers help stop the spread of the virus.
“I want to make a statement that it is the citizens who are in control, and that the state must be there to serve its citizens,” one person said in protest against Reuters.
“I am a grandmother,” said another. “I don’t want my grandchildren growing up in a world where so much is prohibited.”
Switzerland has lighter restrictions than some other countries, and their schools can still be open. However, there is debate around the world about how far the limitations of the coronavirus should go.
No arrests were made during Saturday’s protest as police kept clear of the protesters, Reuters reported.
In Switzerland, nearly 9,000 people have been killed and 530,000 infected since the start of the pandemic, with new concerns about a part of the virus in the UK that has been shown to be more contagious and potentially deadly.