A recent round of antibody testing suggests that a quarter of people living in the canton of Vaud have antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The antibody study run by Unisanté, which involves periodically testing a sample of the population, has been operating since May 2020. The latest results, which involved testing around 1,000 people over […]
Record fall in Swiss hotel occupancy in 2020
In 2020, the number of overnight stays in Swiss hotels fell by 40% to 23.7 million, a fall of 15.8 million nights compared to 2019. The fall, driven by Covid-19, is the largest fall in overnight stays in Switzerland since the end of the 1950s, according to Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office. Plummeting hotel stays were […]
Coronavirus: Swiss government confirms March reopening plan
On 24 February 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council confirmed its earlier plan to allow shops, museums, library reading rooms, outdoor sports and leisure facilities, zoos and botanical gardens to reopen on 1 March 2021. In addition, outdoor events involving family and friends and sports and cultural activities involving up to 15 people will also be permitted […]
A look back at assurances made at the time on the anniversary of the first Swiss Covid case
On 25 February 2020, Swiss authorities announced the discovery of the first known case of Covid-19 in Switzerland and assured the public that there was no reason to be concerned. The first case identified in Switzerland was a man in Ticino in his 70s, who had returned from a trip to northern Italy, where 220 […]
Acts of antisemitism rise in Switzerland in 2020
Every year, organisations that fight against antisemitism publish statistics on antisemitism in Switzerland. During 2020, CICAD, a non-profit organisation covering French-speaking Switzerland, reported a significant rise in cases, which rose to a total of 147, 144 of which were considered concerning. This represents a rise of 41% compared to 2019 when 100 significant antisemitic acts […]
Last weekend’s coldest Swiss temperature disqualified
Last weekend, at 4am on Saturday a thermometer at Switzerland’s Glattalp weather station 1,900m above sea level plunged to -44 degrees Celsius, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Switzerland. However, the record was disqualified because the thermometer was not in the open air at 2 metres from the ground. Instead it was buried under snow. […]
Sharp rise in Swiss trade
Swiss trade rose sharply in January 2021. However, one industry dominated and masked falls in other sectors. After falling in December 2020, seasonally adjusted Swiss exports rose 5.4% to CHF 18.9 billion in January 2021, according to recently published figures. In addition, imports were up 3.3% to CHF 15.3 billion. 90% of the rise in […]
Covid: Swiss cases and deaths continue downward trend
This week, Switzerland’s Covid figures continued to improve. Over the seven days to 19 February 2021, Switzerland reported 7,048 new positive Covid-19 cases and 133 deaths. The number of daily cases reported in Switzerland over the same period averaged 1,006, a figure 20% lower than the daily reported average of 1,265 reported the week before. The current infection rate […]
Swiss residential property prices on the rise
After falling by 0.8% in the first quarter of 2020, average Swiss residential property prices have rebounded, rising in every quarter since to deliver an annual 2020 increase of 2.5%. Average residential property prices rose by 1.4% in Q2, by 0.2% in Q3 and by 2.3% in the final quarter of 2020. Across the year, […]
Swiss unemployment jumps exceeding EU rate in Lake Geneva region
The rate of unemployment in Switzerland in the 4th quarter of 2020 was 4.9%, up from 3.9% in the 4th quarter of 2019. The same figures for the EU were 6.6% (Q4 2109) and 7.5% (Q4 2020). Unemployment rates were highest among those aged 15-24 (7.3%) and 25-39 (5.4%). Those aged 40-54 (4.6%) and 55-64 […]
