This week, a Council of States commission accepted a plan to regulate the cannabis trade in Switzerland, reported 20 Minutes. This decision by the public health commission follows an earlier one by a parliamentary commission looking at the same question. The way is now clear for parliament to create a new law that lifts the […]
Covid: more contagious Delta Plus variant detected in Switzerland
A sub-variant of the Delta variant, often referred to as Delta Plus was detected in Switzerland for the first time in September 2021, announced the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) this week, reported Le Matin. Detected for the first time in India over spring, the AY4.2 variant or Delta Plus variant is thought to […]
Covid: Switzerland approves third vaccine doses
Since the beginning of September 2021, around 30% of the people dying of Covid-19 in Switzerland have been fully vaccinated. Vaccination against the disease in Switzerland started in December 2020 and some of those dying were among the first to be vaccinated. A man interviewed by the Sonntagszeitung is convinced his mother, who was among […]
Swiss clocks go back one hour this Sunday
Early on Sunday 31 October 2021 Swiss clocks turn back one hour. Officially they are adjusted at 3am. The rest of Europe will adjust its clocks at the same time. This means one hour longer in bed and more light when you get up. On the down side, it will be darker in the evenings. […]
Covid: new cases up 27% this week in Switzerland as winter approaches
This week, 7,818 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Switzerland, up 27% from the 6,174 recorded the week before. On a 7-day moving average basis, the number of daily new cases (1,117) is back above 1,000 a day. The number entering hospital with Covid-19 is stable. Over the last 7 days, 101 Covid-19 patients were admitted to […]
Vote launched against new Swiss Netflix law
In response to complaints by Switzerland’s cinema association, Switzerland’s government created a new law requiring online streaming services to pay money into a Swiss cinema fund. A group of young politicians view the move as a tax that will ultimately be paid by consumers and is organising a referendum to have the law thrown out, […]
Switzerland faces nurse shortage as exhaustion drives some to quit
Currently, with nearly 6,000 nursing vacancies in Switzerland the sector raises the alarm, reports 20 Minutes. According to the latest figures, there are a record 5.761 unfilled nursing positions in Switzerland. At the same time in 2019 there were 4,716, 18% fewer. Vacancies now represent around 3% of the 185,600 nurses currently working in Switzerland. […]
Number testing for Covid down 30% in a week
Pharmacies in the Swiss canton of Vaud reported a 30% drop in the number of Covid tests after the government stopped covering the cost of them on 10 October 2021, reported RTS. Until 10 October 2021, most Covid tests in Switzerland were paid for by the government. Anyone could get a free lateral flow test, […]
No Covid certificates for Swiss ski lifts this winter, say lift operators
At a gathering this week near Verbier, Switzerland’s ski lift operators decided that everyone, regardless of their Covid-19 immune status, would be able to ride Swiss ski lifts this coming winter. Lift operators at the meeting decided that no Covid certificate would be required to access ski lifts, reported Le Matin. The decision follows two […]
Left out of Horizon, Switzerland starts funding its own participation
This week, Switzerland’s federal council released CHF 400 million to fund Swiss research projects once part of Horizon Europe, an EU research programme that is the world’s most heavily funded. Switzerland was cut out of the programme when it unilaterally ended talks with the EU aimed at agreeing a deal with the bloc. Since being […]
