On Saturday, around one thousand people took to the streets of Zurich to protest against government rules aimed at slowing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to RTS. Under the slogan “Zurück in die Freiheit” (Back to Freedom) protest organisers drew an eclectic group of people together at Zurich’s Helvetiaplatz to protest against compulsory […]
Pandemic causes historic slump in Swiss GDP in second quarter
In the second quarter (Q2) of 2020, Switzerland’s GDP fell by –8.2 % after decreasing by –2.5 % in the previous quarter. GDP for Q2 2020 was 10.5% lower than Q4 2019. Domestic economic activity was severely restricted in the wake of the pandemic and the measures taken to contain it, said the government. However, […]
Switzerland’s Christian Catholic church votes in favour of same sex marriage
Over the weekend, the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland voted in favour of same sex marriage at a national synod in Zurich, according to RTS. The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is part of an offshoot of Catholicism that rejects papal infallibility. The church has around 12,000 adherents mainly in Basel, Aargau, Solothun, Zurich, Bern, […]
Journalists in Switzerland have not had a pay rise for 14 years
A recent survey by a Swiss union USS shows that average pay for journalists in Switzerland has barely risen for 14 years. In 2006, on average (median) a journalist earned CHF 7,200 a month. By 2020, this figure had risen to CHF 7,333, an average annual increase of 0.13%, which amounts to less than CHF […]
Coronavirus: new cases rise again in Switzerland this week
In the week to 28 August 2020, the reported number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections recorded in Switzerland was 2,014, 21% higher than the 1,661 cases recorded the week before. The total number of recorded cases and deaths stood at 41,036 and 2,004 by 28 August 2020. The 7-day rolling average number of daily new cases was 288, up from […]
Coronavirus: UK puts Switzerland back on quarantine list
Travellers from Switzerland, Jamaica and Czech Republic who enter the UK from 4 am on Saturday 29 August 2020, must self-isolate for two weeks, the UK government announced this evening. The UK considers imposing quarantine when a country’s rate of infection exceeds 20 cases per 100,000 people over 7 days. Switzerland is currently above this […]
Five die after coronavirus infects Swiss nursing home
A nursing home near Lausanne in the canton of Vaud was recently infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to RTS. Over a week, five residents died. All of them tested positive for Covid-19. The five deaths do not appear to have been included in Vaud’s official statistics, which show no Covid-19 deaths since 16 August 2020. The […]
Coronavirus: Swiss cantons of Fribourg and Valais make masks compulsory in shops
The Swiss cantons of Fribourg and Valais follow a growing number other cantons and make masks compulsory in shops. The new rule comes into force in Fribourg on Friday 28 August 2020 and in Valais on Monday 31 August 2020. After Switzerland’s first wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections, the federal government decided to give Switzerland’s cantons […]
Coronavirus: why are some countries not on risk lists despite exceeding new case thresholds?
Switzerland currently exceeds the UK’s threshold number of recent new Covid-19 cases to be classified as a risk country and France currently exceeds Switzerland’s threshold. However, these nations are currently not on risk lists. Nearly every nation now maintains a list of countries from which entry is either restricted or comes with a quarantine requirement. […]
Coronavirus: Zurich makes masks compulsory in shops
From Thursday 27 August 2020, anyone entering a shop or shopping centre in Zurich will be required to wear a mask. To reduce the risk of a rapid rise in Covid-19 cases the government of the canton of Zurich has introduced compulsory mask wearing in shops, shopping centres and markets. The latest official Covid-19 figures […]
