A recent poll conducted by GFS.bern suggests Swiss are becoming less interested in nutrition and exercise. While a majority (77%) still say they are fairly or very interested in nutrition and exercise, the percentage saying they were very interested fell from 41% in 2014 to 27% in 2020. Over the same period, the percentage saying […]
Switzerland adds 10 more nations to its compulsory quarantine list
Update: on 11 September 2020, Switzerland added further to its list of quarantine regions and included parts of France and Vienna. On 7 September 2020, Switzerland added to its list of quarantine countries. People entering Switzerland from 55 nations must now quarantine for 10 days. On 7 September 2020, 10 nations were added to the […]
Referendum: Swiss to vote on two weeks paternity leave
On 27 September 2020, Swiss voters have many decisions to make. The list of referenda is long and includes decisions on fighter jets, ending the free movement of people between Switzerland and the EU, hunting and tax deductions for child care. Another is a decision on whether to accept a proposal to grant fathers two […]
Obesity remains a significant health issue in Switzerland
The number of people in Switzerland suffering from obesity has doubled over 25 years, according to a recent study published by the Federal Statistical Office. In 1992, 5% of Switzerland’s population was classified as obese. By 2017, the percentage had risen to 11%. In recent years the rate has stabilised. Zoltan Pataky, an obesity specialist […]
Swiss government relaxes rules for most polluting cars
Citing the economic effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, Switzerland’s Federal Council has decided to relax measures designed to curb the sale of the most polluting cars in Switzerland. In July 2012, Switzerland introduced regulations on the CO2 emissions of new cars. The rules, which include average fleet emissions limits, apply to any vendor importing more […]
Coronavirus: Switzerland considers adding only parts of France to its quarantine list
With daily infection rates in France rising to levels not seen since its previous peak in April 2020, the Swiss government is considering modifying its quarantine risk list system to include certain French regions rather than the whole country. The idea is being discussed as a potential way to avoid paralysing parts of Switzerland that […]
Switzerland remains first in the world for innovation
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has ranked Switzerland number one in the world for innovation for the tenth consecutive year, according to its latest Global Innovation Index (GII) published this week. Switzerland, Sweden, U.S., U.K and Netherlands lead the innovation ranking, which ranks more than 130 nations. The biggest change in Switzerland’s score this […]
Coronavirus: weekly cases rise further in Switzerland passing 400 in a single day
In the week to 4 September 2020, the reported number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections recorded in Switzerland was 2,186, 9% higher than the 2,014 cases recorded the week before. The total number of recorded cases and deaths stood at 43,532 and 2,013 by 4 September 2020. 405 daily new cases were reported on 4 September 2020. The last time […]
Coronavirus: could masks explain Switzerland’s sharply declining death rate?
In Switzerland, over the three months following 31 May 2020, there have been 11,306 recorded cases of Covid-19 and 91 deaths, a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.8%. However, before this date there were 30,862 cases and 1,920 deaths, a CFR of 6.2%. Why has Switzerland’s CFR fallen so steeply? A number of factors could […]
Coronavirus: country of departure now counts, not stopover country
The Swiss government has closed a Covid-19 travel loophole. From 31 August 2020, it will no longer be possible to skirt Switzerland’s entry restrictions by arriving in Switzerland from a high-risk country by transiting through a country that is not on the list. Until this date, it has been possible to circumvent Switzerland’s entry restrictions […]
