On 11 August 2021, Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), announced that it was stopping the return of failed asylum seekers to Afghanistan, as the security situation in the country deteriorates. SEM said it was stopping the return of failed asylum seekers until further notice. Only preparations for the expulsion of criminals would continue. Sweden, […]
Covid: no change to measures as Swiss government accepts rising numbers
On 11 August 2021, at the federal government’s weekly briefing on Covid-19, Swiss health minister Alain Berset said that the government accepts that the numbers will increase, while explaining that no changes would be made to the current measures. Remaining restrictions in Switzerland include wearing masks in public transport and in some indoor areas, a […]
Covid: second vaccine approved for use on 12 to 17 year olds in Switzerland
Swissmedic, Switzerland’s drug approval agency, extended approval of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for use on 12 to 17 year olds this week. On 9 August 2021, Swissmedic said that it had carefully examined an application from Moderna Switzerland and had decided to extend the temporary authorisation for the use of its Spikevax vaccine on 12 […]
Mystery Swiss biologist defends China on coronavirus origin
On 24 July 2021, a Facebook post on an account supposedly belonging to a Swiss biologist by the name of Wilson Edwards claimed to have knowledge of US efforts to politicise the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Covid-19 investigations from within the organisation. The post was picked up by various Chinese state media, including the Global […]
Preacher accused of racial discrimination by Swiss prosecutor
In a long running case dating back to 2017, a Swiss prosecutor has accused a Libyan preacher of racial discrimination and started legal proceedings against the man, reported SRF. It is alleged that the 68 year old Libyan gave a hate speech targeting Jews, Christians, Hindus, Russians and Shiites in a mosque in the town […]
Covid: post-holiday tests encouraged by Swiss authorities
On Monday 2 August 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) launched a campaign to encourage people to get tested for Covid-19 after returning from holiday travel, reported RTS. The FOPH recommends all those that haven’t been vaccinated or recently recovered to get tested when they return to Switzerland, even if they have no […]
Swisscom network down for most of Switzerland this week
At 11:20am on Tuesday 3 August 2021, Swisscom’s network went down for 45 minutes, according to Fing, a network monitoring service. The outage stretched across nearly all of Switzerland’s highly populated plateau as well as the most southern part of the canton of Ticino, affecting most of the company’s customers – see image below. According […]
Covid: Swiss cases up 26% this week but deaths remain low
This week, 6,303 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Switzerland, up 26% from the week before (4,988). At the same time the week saw 3 deaths, the same number as the week before. Most of the vulnerable have now been been vaccinated in Switzerland and the vast majority of new cases are now among […]
Personal views on Covid wrecking relationships in Switzerland
A recent survey reveals the negative impact differing views on Covid are having on relationships in Switzerland. 62% of those surveyed said they were currently engaged in a disagreement over how the disease should be dealt with. And 26% had already broken off contact with someone as a result, reports SRF. Covid conflict is affecting […]
Europe’s first hyperloop opens in Switzerland
Engineers at EPFL’s DESL lab, working in association with EPFL spin-off Swisspod, have built a Hyperloop test track on the Lausanne campus in Switzerland. They will use the loop – a large vacuum tube for ultra-high-speed travel – to test a linear induction motor, an electric motor that can produce a levitation effect. Hyperloops, viewed […]
