Titanium dioxide, a substance added to food, cosmetics and paints, is set to be banned for use in food in Switzerland. Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) has said that it plans to ban titanium dioxide (E171) use in food in Switzerland, according to various Swiss media. The bright white substance, also known […]
Covid: Swiss government sets out plans for further reopening
On 12 May 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council announced plans for further reopening. The epidemiological situation is easing in terms of case numbers, hospitalisations and intensive care unit capacity, said the government. The public are continuing to observe the protective measures, and the reopening steps introduced on 19 April 2021 have not led to an increase […]
Latest poll shows majority support for Swiss anti-pesticide votes
With five weeks to go before Swiss vote on two initiatives aimed at drastically cutting the use of pesticides, more than 50% appear to be in favour of both initiatives, according to RTS. One of these initiatives, the clean drinking water initiative, aims to tie access to Switzerland’s generous farm subsidies to forgoing pesticide (and […]
Covid: new cases trend down with vaccine progress
This week, saw 10,639 new Covid-19 cases in Switzerland, down 21% from a week before (13,465) continuing the slow down in growth of new numbers experienced last week (-5%). The 7-day average is currently 1,519. “We have good reasons to be optimistic,” said Patrick Mathys, head of the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force at […]
Swiss consumer sentiment nearly back to pre-crisis level
Consumer sentiment among Swiss households is improving, according to Switzerland’s economic affairs office (SECO). In April 2021, the consumer sentiment index climbed back to -7 points after reaching a low of -40 in early 2020. The level of -7 is close to the pre-crisis level of early 2020 and close to its long term average […]
SWISS plans large cuts to fleet and staff numbers
On 6 May 2021, SWISS announced a plan to cut jobs and the size of its fleet. Due to the continuing global coronavirus pandemic and structural changes in the market, the company expects a 20% structural decline in demand. In response, the airline plans to cut the fleet it had in 2019 by 15% and […]
Covid: Switzerland agrees new deal for 7 million Moderna vaccine doses
On 6 May 2021, the Swiss government announced a new contract with Moderna to deliver another 7 million more doses of its vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in early 2022. Switzerland’s federal government said that the new contract means Switzerland is well equipped to tackle future virus mutations and should have enough vaccine to offer […]
Short expiry notice for Swiss banknotes sparks criticism
Last Wednesday, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) announced that old Swiss banknotes would no longer be legal tender from Friday, 30 April 2021. The short notice period has generated complaints and confusion. The eighth series of Swiss banknotes did not lose their value, however, they are no longer an accepted means of exchange. The only […]
Air sensors recommended in Swiss schools to cut spread of Covid-19
Aircraft have HEPA filters which help to remove impurities and viral particles from the air. However, many buildings lack any form of air filtration, which requires air to be manually refreshed. A federal study in 2019 found that two thirds of Swiss classrooms were insufficiently ventilated. In some cases the air towards the end of […]
Swiss switched to local wine during pandemic
In 2020, wine consumption is Switzerland slumped by 6%. However, consumption of locally produced wine rose 0.3%. The biggest drop was in imported white wine (-14%), followed by imported red wine (-8%). Consumption of Swiss red wine (+0.5%) rose the most followed by Swiss white wines (+0.2%). Big drivers of falling wine consumption were the […]
