The Covid-19 pandemic has been tough on many businesses. However, few sectors have suffered as severely as film and cinema. In 2020, Swiss cinemas saw screenings drop by a whopping 49% compared to 2019, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The number of admissions (-65%) and ticket revenue (-65%) were down by nearly two thirds. […]
Swiss crime down sharply during first wave of pandemic
Statistics from Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office show a dramatic fall in the number of crimes during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. Across all of 2020, 421,678 crimes were recorded, 2.4% fewer than the year before. Drug crimes (-9%), immigration crimes (-12%) and burglaries (-10%) were all down. At the same time violent […]
Swiss clocks advance one hour on Sunday
Summer time begins on Sunday, 28 March 2021 in Switzerland. In line with the surrounding European nations, at 2 a.m. on Sunday, 28 March 2021, Swiss clocks will move forward on hour to 3 a.m. Switzerland will remain on summer time until 31 October 2021. Abolishing daylight savings in Europe has been a subject of […]
Government agrees on laws to tackle high Swiss prices
This article was first published on 365 club.ch Residents of Switzerland have long grumbled about the nation’s high prices compared to neighbouring countries. On 19 March 2021, the government moved a step closer to removing two of the competitive barriers inflating Swiss prices. There are many factors behind Switzerland’s high prices. Chief among them are […]
Politicians demand citizenship for those born in Switzerland
Two members of the Council of States, Switzerland’s upper house, have called for those born in Switzerland to be granted citizenship, a concept known as Jus soli, which is predominant in the Americas, but rare elsewhere. The two politicians, Paul Rechsteiner from St. Gallen and Lisa Mazzone from Geneva, say that studies show citizenship acts […]
Call for SUV import ban in Switzerland
Swiss parliamentarian Isabelle Pasquier-Eichenberger from the Green Party has asked the Federal Council to ban the import of vehicles weighing 2 tonnes or more from 2022. Heavy SUVs are becoming more and more popular in Switzerland. In 2019, around 130,000 were sold compared to 50,000 in 2010. They now make up 40% of new car […]
Mask wearing could last for years in Switzerland, say experts
Switzerland’s health authority says it expects mask wearing may be necessary for several years in Switzerland. The reason for longer term mask wearing is the risk posed by unvaccinated people. In a memo to cantonal health authorities, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) said that even after the vaccine has been offered to everyone […]
The invisible lock invented in Switzerland
Researchers in Switzerland have developed an invisible lock made of a printed transparent electronic material. The transparent touch sensitive material can be placed anywhere, which means, unlike a traditional keypad, making it very difficult for an intruder to even know where to press. The team at Switzerland’s EMPA research centre is focused on developing thin […]
Covid: Swiss government to keep restaurants and theatres closed
On 19 March 2021, the Federal Council decided to relax restrictions regarding indoor gatherings of family and friends from five to a maximum of ten people. However, faced with rising case numbers, the risk of an uncontrolled increase in cases is currently too great to allow any further measures to be eased, said the government. […]
Covid: infections continue to accelerate this week in Switzerland
This week saw new cases rise 19.3%. This follows an increase of 13.5% the week before. Over the seven days to 19 March 2021, Switzerland reported 9,964 new Covid-19 cases. The 7-day average is currently 1,423 new daily cases, up from 1,194 last week. Vaccination progresses with 5.0% now fully vaccinated and 13.7 doses per 100 people […]
