Recent analysis of data done in the Swiss canton of Vaud found rate of Covid-19 was 83 times higher among the unvaccinated than those who had received two shots of vaccine, reported RTS. During the last two weeks of July 2021, the rate of infection among the vaccinated population was 2.6 per 100,000 compared to […]
Covid: Swiss cases rise this week as vaccination grinds to a halt
Since the beginning of July 2021, the percentage of Switzerland’s population that has received at least one shot of Covid-19 vaccine has risen by only around 3 percentage points. Switzerland now has one of the lowest daily and cumulative vaccination rates in western Europe. Switzerland is now 15 percentage points behind the UK, 12 behind […]
UK drops quarantine for fully vaccinated European and US visitors
On 29 July 2021, Grant Shapps, UK Secretary of State for Transport, announced that quarantine rules for fully vaccinated people arriving from the US and nations in Europe on the UK’s amber list would be relaxed and that no quarantine would be required for these travellers on arrival in the UK. Via Twitter, Shapps said […]
Immigrants pay higher rent than native Swiss
Those with a migration background in Switzerland are on average financially worse off than those without, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). And those with a migration background pay on average 10% more per square metre of living space than the rest of the population. In Switzerland, around 20% of those with […]
Infectious diseases down sharply in Switzerland with one exception
Most common infectious diseases fell sharply in Switzerland in 2020, according to recently published data from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). However, one rose. Measures put in place to slow the spread of Covid-19 appear to have cut the spread of most common infectious diseases in Switzerland in 2020. The FOPH examined the […]
Queues reach 14 kilometres at Gotthard tunnel
Those living in north eastern Switzerland planning to head south for a summer break live in fear of the Gotthard road tunnel, which is probably Switzerland’s most infamous traffic choke point. The summer of 2021 is proving to be no exception. On Monday, 26 July 2021, the queue of traffic on the northern side of […]
Robot mowers harmful to hedgehogs, according to study
Quiet, slow moving robot mowers might look quite harmless. However, research suggests many are not, reports RTS. Research presented by Swiss Animal Protection, reveals robot mowers present a high risk for hedgehogs. According to tests, 11 out of the 18 robot mowers tested present a high risk injury of death to hedgehogs, particularly young ones. […]
Foreigners in Switzerland avoiding welfare for fear of expulsion
Until fairly recently, anyone on a C-permit who had lived in Switzerland for 15 years was able to draw welfare payments without risking their permit. In 2019, a new law changed this. Article 63 of Switzerland’s federal law on foreigners (page 32) sets out a number of conditions that allow residency rights to be taken […]
WHO describes Swiss vaccination strategy as a moral scandal
Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the WHO has criticised Switzerland and other nations, describing elements of their Covid-19 vaccination strategies as a “moral scandal”, reported 20 Minutes. Over the weekend the SonntagsZeitung reported that Tedros Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO, had described the fact that so far three quarters of all vaccinations had been administered […]
Hiking and biking gain popularity in Switzerland
In 2019, residents of Switzerland spent 200 million hours hiking and 2.4 millions went on an average of 15 bike rides, according to recently published data from Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). In 2019, around 57% of residents aged over 15 went hiking, a figure 20 percentage points higher than in 2007. The steepest rise […]
