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Shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders have been prevalent throughout the United States since March 2020 as state and local governments have sought to protect their citizens from the spread of the COVID-19 virus while at the same time reopen their economies in accordance with phased reopening plans. Keeping abreast of the…

As a result of the extraordinary situation resulting from the spread of COVID-19 in Switzerland, the Executive Board of the Federal Procurement Conference (FPC) has issued recommendations for the public procurement of goods and services and contractual matters during the current COVID-19 crisis. The main goal is to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the Swiss economy from a public procurement perspective.

The recommendations are valid during the exceptional situation as defined in the COVID-19-Ordinance 2 on measures to combat the coronavirus (SR 818.101.24) and for six months after the end of the exceptional situation.

However, owing to federalism, procurement law is not uniform. The recommendations of the FPC are not legally binding and, thus, the cantons may deviate from them.

On 28 April 2020, the Prime Minister gave an outline of the plan to gradually relax the lockdown from 11 May onwards. On 3 May 2020, the Ministry of Labour published a National Deconfinement Plan for companies to ensure the health and safety of employees, link here. Companies which have not already done so must take steps to adapt working conditions to these new recommendations.