The aim is to test 40% of the population every week.
The Federal Health Office says that carriers of the virus that are not showing any symptoms, need to be found.
Tests will be set up in schools, businesses, nursing homes and hospitals.
All tests in Switzerland are free from the beginning of the week and the aim is to make 5 self-testing kits available to everyone every month.
The aim is to use pharmacies to distribute them from April.
Authorities hope the testing programme will have a similar effect across the country as it has had in canton Graubünden. A massive testing programme there is credited with keeping infection rates down.
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