Since yesterday Switzerland requires a negative PCR-Test for all international arrivals, regardless the country of departure (i.e. also from virtually COVID free countries, such as NZ or some Asian countries). However, the wording leaves a few very mportant questions open:

1. Timing: The respective ordinance (https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2021/61/de) does not specify in Art. 7 whether the 72 hours are calculated before the departure abroad or before arrival into Switzerland. However, the title above Art. 7 might suggest that it is before "immigration". In TIMATIC, it is clear that it is "at most 72 hours before embarkation from the first departure point". Question: How are the 72 hours calculated?

2. Transit pax: The ordinance is clear in Art. 7 I lit b that the testing requirement only applies for pax entering Switzerland ("in die Schweiz einreisen"). Art. 8 I lit. f of the same ordinance explicitly excempts transit pax from the testing requirement. However TIMATIC also requires transit pax to perform a test. Question: How to prove it to check in agents if TIMATIC explicitly says the contrary of the ordinance. The latter is only available in German, French and Italian.

3. Exceptions: The ordinance specifies in Art. 8 further exceptions to the testing (and in case of high risk countries also the quarantine) requirement. Probably the most relevant ones are "important business travel" (lit. c and d), sport/culture/congresses (lit. g). TIMATIC mentions that there are "more exceptions" and provides a link which leads to an English language summary of the ordinance (mentioning business travel but not some of the other exceptions) and, in a second step, to the ordinance (in German). Question: How can someone prove to check-in agents that one of the exceptions apply?

Does anyone have first hand experience how this is handled? The information provided on the Swiss website is following the lines of TIMATIC, however, as discussed above, this differs from the ordinance. And the difference is not uniform: In respect of the timing, TIMATIC is more relaxed, in respect of transit it is more strict than the ordinance.