Switzerland will lift almost all its coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the government has said, as fears wane that a spike in infections fuelled by the Omicron variant would overwhelm the health care system.

The government said only the requirement to wear masks on public transport and at healthcare facilities would remain in force after the changes, which take effect on Thursday, reports Reuters.

Mandatory five-day isolation of people who have tested positive for coronavirus will also remain in effect until the end of March, the government said, to protect particularly vulnerable people.

But shops, restaurants and cultural institutions would be freely accessible, it said, pressing ahead with opening measures it had flagged two weeks ago when it ended quarantine for people who come into contact with an infected person and turned a work-from-home order into a recommendation.