This week, saw 8,897 new Covid-19 cases in Switzerland, down 16% from the week before (10,639), continuing the downward tend of new numbers of recorded infections, which fell 21% over the prior week. The 7-day average is currently 1,271. The last time it was this low was mid-March 2021.
Covid deaths are declining too. This week there were 27, down from 66 the week before and 55 the week before that. Switzerland’s total Covid-19 death toll has now reached 10,729.
By 12 May 2021, 13.8% of Switzerland’s population was fully vaccinated, up from 11.7% a week earlier. Now, more than a quarter of Switzerland’s population has received at least one dose. This week, the number of doses administered per 100 people rose from 34.9 to 40.6. Although vaccinations in Switzerland continue to trail behind the EU which has administered 42.5 doses per 100.
By the end of this week, Switzerland’s reported reproduction rate was 0.90 overall. Only Luzern (1.00), Nidwalden (1.11) and Schaffhausen (1.00) had rates at 1 or above.
However, Alain Berset, Switzerland’s minister of health, called upon people to continue following social distancing rules and mask wearing. He described the current level of new infections as relatively high and well above the quarantine trigger level (60 per 100,000 over 14 days) set less than a year ago. It’s not finished. There are no short cuts, he said. We’re at the point where many are close to being vaccinated. This is not the time to relax. We can’t vaccinate people once they’re infected. We need to keep going, he said.
More on this:
FOPH data (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
