Given the greater infectiousness of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, many experts have been concerned that it could push the healthcare system to its breaking point. However, the seemingly less hazardous nature of the variant has led researchers in Switzerland and Germany to conclude that hospital overload is unlikely. In the UK, the […]
Switzerland remains in top 10 for lowest corruption
Switzerland was ranked tenth in the latest 2021 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) published by Transparency International this week. The index ranks 180 countries and territories around the world by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, with results ranging from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). This year’s index reveals that corruption levels are at […]
Price of wood pellets rises sharply in Switzerland
The price of wood pellets in Switzerland is up 20% over the last 12 months, according to Patrick Schmutz, a wood pellet expert, reports RTS. According to Schmutz, the price rise is due to a cold 12 months, especially last spring, and the success of wood pellet heating. More and more pellet-based heating systems are […]
Overwhelming majority of ICU patients in Switzerland unvaccinated, show data
On 25 January 2022, a study published by Zurich University Hospital found that 97% of Covid-19 ICU patients since the start of Switzerland’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign were unvaccinated. The study evaluated hospital data from 964 Covid-19 patients who were treated in intensive care units in Swiss hospitals in the nine months since the start of […]
Swiss researchers discover how to predict those at risk of Long Covid
Many who get sick with Covid-19 end up with long term symptoms, known loosely as Long Covid. On 25 January 2022, researchers in Switzerland published research results that help to predict which Covid-19 patients are likely to develop Long Covid. The researchers uncovered a signature immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is associated with […]
Electric scooter accidents on the rise in Switzerland
With more and more electric scooters on Swiss streets every year the number of accidents is rising. In 2021, there were around 2,500 accidents involving electric scooters in Switzerland, according to an estimate by Suva, a public insurer. The latest figure is three times the 800 accidents involving electric scooters estimated by Suva in 2019. […]
Swiss epidemiologist sees the end of general Covid restrictions from summer
Swiss epidemiologist Marcel Tanner said that state imposed measures to combat Covid-19 may not be needed from summer, reported RTS. After the Omicron wave has passed, blanket measures, such as mask wearing and Covid 2G restrictions, may no longer be needed, said Tanner. If we continue to get vaccinated, get booster shots and voluntarily respect […]
The concept of a 4-day week makes headway in Switzerland
A 4-day work week on 100% pay has become a reality at some small businesses in Switzerland, reports RTS. Andreas Ott, the owner of a small graphic design studio in the canton of Aargau told the SonntagsZeitung that his clients reported no issues with staff taking Fridays off. Ott introduced the concept several years ago […]
Covid: new cases 18% higher this week in Switzerland but severe cases down
This week, 194,679 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Switzerland, up 18% from the 164,333 cases reported a week earlier. Given the high contagiousness of Omicron, which now dominates (89%) in Switzerland, the real number of cases could be significantly higher. This week, 468 people were reported hospitalised with Covid-19 in Switzerland, slightly above the level reported the […]
Higher tax deductions for parents in Switzerland starting in 2023
This week, Switzerland’s government set a date for the introduction of more generous tax deductions for childcare. From 1 January 2023, parents will be able to deduct up to CHF 25,000 per child in childcare costs from their annual taxable income, reported RTS. Currently, the maximum is CHF 10,100 per child. The change is the […]
