Geo-blocking is the practice of pushing online shoppers to a version of a website based on their geographic location. Many consumers would like to see the practice made illegal and Swiss laws look set to make it so, according to the NZZ am Sonntag, reported Le Matin. Geo-blocking and filtering is particularly pernicious in a […]
Dioxin pollution in Lausanne sparks concerns in other Swiss regions
This week, the canton of Vaud said that eggs and pumpkins produced in a zone covering much of Lausanne should not be eaten. The areas affected are shown by shading in the image above. The darkest shaded zones are the most polluted. Eggs grown in the three central zones should not be eaten, along with […]
Covid: Swiss government sets aggressive vaccination targets
The federal government announced plans to aggressively push Covid-19 vaccinations with a new programme launching in November 2021 costing CHF 150 million. The objective of the campaign is to reach a vaccination rate of 93% among those over 65 and a rate of 80% among those aged 18 to 65. These targets will require a […]
Swiss unemployment down, especially among young
Unemployment fell from 2.7% to 2.6% in September 2021 in Switzerland, with a sharp drop among those aged 15 to 24, reported RTS. By the end of September 2021, just over 200,000 people were looking for employment in Switzerland according to Switzerland’s standard measure, which is focused on those registered with the official unemployment office, […]
Only a third of Swiss restaurants properly scan Covid certificates
A team working for the magazine Bon à savoir visited 70 cafés and restaurants in French-speaking Switzerland to see how many checked for Covid Certificates, reported RTS. Checking a Covid certificate requires checking the certificate to see if it shows valid vaccination or test details and then ensuring the certificate presented belongs to the person […]
A very wet year for Switzerland
The hydrological year, which runs until 30 September, was very wet this year in Switzerland, particularly in the north of Switzerland, according to SRF Meteo, reported RTS. In Basel and St-Gallen a third more rain fell in 2020-21 than normal. Basel received 1,064 mm of rain compared to its long-run average of 780 mm. Only […]
Covid: cases fall this week in Switzerland, but immunity level still too low, says expert
This week, 6,845 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Switzerland, down 16% from the 8,188 recorded the week before. On a 7-day moving average basis, the number of daily new cases (978) is back down to where it was in early August 2021. The number entering hospital with Covid-19 is also down. Over the last 7 days, […]
Swiss farmers hit back at nutritional labelling
Bulging waist lines and high rates of heart disease, cancer and type II diabetes are putting increasing pressure on healthcare systems, so the world is on the lookout for ways to tackle the problem. One is food labelling. But few producers want their products labelled as unhealthy. Swiss farmers are no exception. According to the […]
Swiss opposition to extension of Covid certificates lower than perceived
According to a recent survey, one third of Swiss are against the extension of Covid certificates. But most think opposition is higher. Two thirds of those surveyed by Tamedia were happy for Covid certificates to be extended to restaurants and public spaces, reported 20 Minutes. The 67% in favour of the extension were either fully […]
Assura’s health premium rise exceeds its refund
On 4 October 2021, Assura, one of Switzerland’s largest providers of health insurance, informed 500,000 policy holders they would receive a refund. Earlier, on 28 September 2021, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), presented the company’s premiums for 2022. For many policy holders, next year’s premium increases will substantially exceed this year’s refunds. Next […]
