The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against a Swiss fine issued to a Roma beggar. In January 2014, a woman begging on the streets of Geneva was fined CHF 500. Unable to pay the fine, the woman was placed in detention for 5 days. Begging is banned in many places in Switzerland. Laws […]
It’s Swiss siren testing season
Every year, Switzerland tests its apocalyptic-sounding sirens on the first Wednesday of February. This year it will be done on 3 February 2021, starting at 13:30. Sirens will be sounded for three minutes. The tests finish at 14:00 for general sirens, and 15:00 for flood sirens. If an alarm sounds outside of these times it […]
Covid: vaccine side effects reported in Switzerland
As at 21 January 2021, Swissmedic, Switzerland’s drug approval authority, had received 42 reports of suspected adverse drug reactions in connection with the first COVID-19 vaccinations in Switzerland, it said in a press release. Experts at Swissmedic, are currently looking these cases. However, so far their analysis has not found anything leading the body to […]
Covid: negative PCR test to enter France from Sunday
Starting from midnight on Sunday, 24 January 2021, a negative PCR test done within the 72 of departure will be required to enter France, announced French president Emmanuel Macron on Thursday. This requirement, which now applies to all countries, already existed for people travelling to France from outside Europe. The extended rule will apply to […]
Covid: 169,783 vaccinations in Switzerland so far
According to numbers reported on Friday 22 January 2021, a total of 169,783 doses of vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been administered in Switzerland. The number of people vaccinated will be lower than this figure because both of the vaccines approved for use in Switzerland are given in two doses. Currently, less than 2% […]
Covid: Swiss death toll passes 9,000 as death rate slows
This week, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 14,051 positive Covid-19 cases and 366 deaths. Over the seven days to 22 January 2021, the number daily cases reported in Switzerland averaged 2,007, a figure 19% lower than the daily reported average of 2,464 reported the week before. The number of weekly reported deaths […]
Covid: the hidden burden of overloaded Swiss hospitals
Significant hidden health costs lie behind the overloading of intensive care units (ICU), according to a recent Swiss study. The study, done by Switzerland’s National COVID-19 Science Task Force, calculated that the number of non-Covid patients in ICU has more than halved since the beginning of the second wave of infections in Switzerland. “Decline in […]
Swiss federal government rejects vote to ban burqas
On 7 March 2021, Swiss voters will vote on a federal ban on covering faces in public, a referendum focused on women wearing burqas and niqabs. The Egerkingen initiative aims to ban face coverings in public and to protect the free will of women to leave their faces uncovered. The proposal makes exceptions, such as […]
Covid: schools to close in some Swiss cantons
After consulting with the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force, Switzerland’s scientific Covid advisory team, Switzerland’s federal government has decided to leave schools open. However, cantons can still decide to close them if they decide to and some have done so. For the Task Force classroom teaching should only be prevented if the epidemiological situation […]
Avalanches: 7 ski deaths in three days in Switzerland
At around 10:20am on Monday 18 January 2021, ten people were caught in an avalanche below Les Attelas in Verbier – pictured below. All ten, who were wearing avalanche detectors, were found, however, a 38 year old British citizen and resident of Verbier died and another was rushed to hospital in a helicopter, according to […]
