While Swissmedic, Switzerland’s drug authorising agency, has yet to approve Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, Swiss authorities have given Swiss-based Lonza Group a green light to start manufacturing the product at a plant in Switzerland, according to the SonntagsZeitung. Moderna’s mRNA vaccine was the second to be approved by regulators in the US after the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine […]
Covid: 9,665 new cases over 4 days in Switzerland
Over the 4 days to 4 January 2020, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 9,665 new cases and 189 deaths bringing Switzerland’s Covid-19 death toll to 7,831 (confirmed 7,271). On 4 January 2021, Switzerland’s 14-day infection rate was 540 per 100,000. Over the last 4 days, 63,665 tests were conducted with test positivity of 15%. The […]
Pandemic dents financial optimism for 2021 in Switzerland
18% of Swiss adults are convinced their financial situation will worsen in 2021, according to a survey. This percentage is markedly higher than at the end of 2019 when the same figure was 13%. The rise in pessimism is largely linked to job insecurity. 68% are concerned they will face full or partial unemployment, while […]
Swiss Federal Council’s theme and photo for 2021
At the dawn of every new year, Switzerland’s Federal Council publishes a photograph along with a theme. This year the theme is gaining a fresh perspective of the familiar. The photo shows the seven members of the Federal Council along with the chancelier. From left to right are Viola Amherd, Simonetta Sommaruga, Ignazio Cassis (vice-president), […]
Covid: no additional restrictions in Switzerland
On 30 December 2020, Switzerland’s Federal Council meet to discuss the epidemiological situation in Switzerland, which it described as concerning. However, it decided to leave the restrictions at the current level set on 18 December 2020. In addition, it said that the latest (18 December 2020) reproduction rate was 0.86, a rate which suggests the […]
Switzerland’s president in 2021
Every year Switzerland gets a new president, who is also a member of the Federal Council, Switzerland’s seven-member executive. In Switzerland the role of president is largely ceremonial. The seven members of the Swiss Federal Council act collectively as the head of state. The president’s vote has no more weight than other Federal Council members. […]
Swiss petrol and diesel tax to rise on 1 January 2021
On 1 January 2021, Swiss pump prices are set to rise by 3.7 cents per litre. From 1 January 2021, the total taxes on a litre of petrol and diesel in Switzerland will be 77 and 80 cents respectively. At a price of CHF 1.50 litre, taxes will make up over half the price of […]
Covid: negative test to enter France from Switzerland only required if resident in France
On 19 December 2020, the French government advised against French residents travelling to Switzerland to ski and introduced rules that made returning difficult, including a requirement to show a negative Covid-19 test less than 72 hours old or to quarantine on arrival. The rule covered all those entering France from the cantons of Graubünden, Jura, […]
Christmas traffic down 84% at Geneva airport
Normally Geneva airport is overrun with passengers during the Christmas period. This year there were 84% fewer passengers than last year, according to RTS. Between 23 and 27 December 2020, there were around 47,000 passengers, down from the 300,000 that passed through the airport during the same period in 2019. The largest number of passengers […]
Covid: we were too optimistic after first wave, said Swiss health minister
In a broadcast on Swiss broadcaster SRF over the weekend, Alain Berset, Switzerland’s health minister said the government was too optimistic after the first wave. “We felt the worst was over, which was an error”, said the minister. In the broadcast, Berset talked of the high level of strain he felt during the first wave. […]
