In 1999, Switzerland signed a deal with the EU allowing free movement of people between Switzerland and the bloc. The deal came into force in 2002. This led to a rise in immigration into Switzerland, which in turn eventually led to rising rents. However, since 2014 there has been a marked slowdown in EU immigration […]
No salary during quarantine for those returning to Switzerland from a SARS-CoV-2 risk country
Employees required to quarantine after returning to Switzerland from a SARS-CoV-2 risk country have no right to be paid during quarantine, according to the Swiss Employers Union, an employers association. This echos Switzerland’s Covid-19 Ordinance. Those who have to go into quarantine in accordance with Switzerland’s COVID-19 ordinance are not entitled to loss of earnings […]
Switzerland’s list of 29 compulsory quarantine countries
Anyone arriving in Switzerland from a state or area with an increased risk of infection is legally required to quarantine themselves for 10 days. If you enter Switzerland and have spent time in a country or region where there is an increased risk of infection in the past 14 days you must go to your […]
People should avoid indoor events and nightclubs, says Swiss Covid-19 task force
An alert from Switzerland’s Covid-19 science task force advises people avoid indoor events, nightclubs and bars in particular. It states that it is extremely important to react rapidly. When measures are introduced too late it is much more difficult to control the epidemic and to avoid a second wave, and the negative impacts on the […]
Some Swiss cantons extend compulsory mask wearing to shops
The cantons of Vaud and Jura recently announced that masks must be worn in shops and supermarkets. After bringing the initial wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections under control through a series of nationwide measures, Switzerland’s federal government decided to take a more backseat role, allowing the governments of the nation’s cantons to take a more localised […]
Coronavirus: rise in new cases continues to accelerate in Switzerland
In the seven days to 3 July 2020, the reported number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections recorded in Switzerland was 615, up from 251 the week before. Over the weeks prior to this there were 172 and 127 new cases, according to worldinfometer.com. Much of the recent rise is due to clusters of infections found in people […]
Swiss government forecasts 2021 deficit but no tax hikes
The coronavirus is set to knock a CHF 1 billion hole in Switzerland’s federal budget for 2021, according to a press release. Without the virus the budget was CHF 2.2 billion in the black. Post virus the budget is now CHF 1 billion in the red. The virus is expected to add CHF 2.0 billion […]
Swiss salaries rise faster than inflation for the first time in 2 years
In 2019, Swiss salaries were on average of 0.9% higher than the year before. A nominal rise of +0.9% combined with low inflation of 0.4% delivered a real boost of 0.5% to someone earning an average salary in Switzerland. This is the first time in two years that the average Swiss salary has grown faster […]
Swiss retail sales up 30% in May after COVID-19 measures eased
Recently published figures show a overall jump of 30.2% in retail sales in May 2020 compared to April 2020. May’s rise of 30.2% follows falls of 6.5% in March and 13.7% in April. However not all retail sectors experienced the same rise in May sales. Food, drink and tobacco sales rose 3.4% and fuel sales […]
Coronavirus: some might be immune without antibodies
A recently published but not peer reviewed study conducted in Sweden suggests that some people might have immunity to SARS-CoV-2, despite testing negative for antibodies. The human immune system contains many actors. Antibodies, which tag and attack pathogens directly, are just one part of it. T-cells, the focus of the recent Swedish research, are able […]
