Covid: new cases down 43% in Switzerland this week

This week, 1,576 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Switzerland, down 43% from the week before (2,759), representing the steepest weekly decline in recoded cases since the pandemic began. The daily number of cases on a 7-day rolling average is now 225.

Deaths are down too. The number of Covid-19 deaths this week was 10, down from the 27 recorded last week. By the end of the week, Switzerland’s total Covid-19 death toll had reached 10,869.

The biggest risk facing Switzerland now is probably the Delta variant, which first appeared in India. According to authorities in the UK, where this variant is dominant, Covid-19 cases are rising significantly. Over the three weeks to 17 June 2021, the total number number of daily recorded cases has risen 3-fold.

At around 100, the absolute number of detected cases of the Delta variant in Switzerland is relatively low. In the UK, where an estimated 93% of new cases are the Delta variant, more than 46,000 cases of the variant have been sequenced. However, the percentage in Switzerland is rising. The latest count shows that 21% of samples sequenced in Switzerland were the Delta variant.

Evidence suggests that vaccines are less effective against the Delta variant than against the original one. However, the difference in vaccine efficacy narrows significantly after the second dose. A study in the UK showed that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were both 33% effective against Delta after the first shot but 88% (Pfizer) and 60% (AstraZeneca) effective after the second dose – click here for more information.

By 16 June 2021 around 46% of Switzerland’s population had been vaccinated with at least one dose and 29% were fully vaccinated. The number of doses per 100 reached 74.

Cantons leading the progress on vaccination are Geneva (82 doses per 100), Basel-City (82), Ticino (81), Bern (80) and Schaffhausen (80). Fribourg (63) remains the laggard.

Switzerland’s latest reproduction rate (0.64) reached its lowest point since May 2020. No cantons had rates of 1.00 or above – see rates here.

More on this:
FOPH data (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now

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