From 20 August 2020, people entering Switzerland from Andorra, Belgium, Monaco and 50 other nations must quarantine for 10 days. Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) recently added 11 places to its existing list of regions where there is an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among them are Albania, Andorra, Gibraltar, Monaco, Belgium and […]
Swiss activist loses appeal against conviction for bringing a failed asylum seeker into Switzerland
Anni Lanz, a 74 year old activist from Basel, was caught bringing a failed Afghan asylum seeker back to Switzerland in violation of Swiss law in February 2018. The man, a former soldier from Afghanistan, who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, found himself sleeping on the streets of Milan after his Swiss asylum application […]
Coronavirus: Switzerland’s public mood has changed, according to health minister
According to Alain Berset, Switzerland’s minister of health, the public mood has changed over the last six months, reports the newspaper Le Matin. The tetchy public response to last week’s mistake by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) when it published an erroneous analysis of data on the sources of SARS-CoV-2 infections reflects a […]
Coronavirus: new masks rules for pupils of post-obligatory schools in French-speaking Switzerland
This week, the association of public teachers for the French- and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland (CIIP) published its guidelines for reducing the spread of Covid-19 when schools reopen. The cantons followed with their new rules. Staff and teachers at all levels of school will continue to wear masks in situations where they are less than […]
Coronavirus: new cases in Switzerland rise 35 percent this week
In the seven days to 14 August 2020, the reported number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections recorded in Switzerland was 1,402, 35% higher than the 1,037 cases recorded the week before. The 7-day rolling average number of new cases was 200. The last time it was this high was 25 April 2020. Over the weeks prior […]
Coronavirus: government signs deal for promising new Swiss drug
This week, Switzerland’s federal government signed an agreement for a therapeutic COVID-19 drug in development by a Zurich based company. The deal gives Switzerland priority access to the first 200,000 doses of the SARS-CoV-2 drug developed by Molecular Partners. If the drug successfully passes clinical trials, planned over the coming autumn, and is approved for […]
Switzerland to give nothing to the Lebanese government
Monika Schmutz, Switzerland’s ambassador in Lebanon has categorically excluded providing financial aid to the Lebanese government fearing a corrupt government would spend it inappropriately, according to RTS. Instead Switzerland will send money via aid agencies, as it has already done to the Lebanese Red Cross. The ambassador was in her office overlooking the port when […]
Coronavirus: Switzerland makes masks compulsory on flights
Today, Switzerland’s Federal Council announced that wearing masks during flights in and out of Switzerland would become compulsory from 15 August 2020. Since 6 July 2020, masks have been compulsory on public transport across Switzerland, including trains, buses and resort lift systems. The latest mask rule for flights covers all scheduled and charter flights taking […]
Coronavirus: gatherings of more than 1,000 people get a green light in Switzerland
Today, Switzerland’s federal government set a date for allowing gatherings of more than 1,000 people, something currently banned as part of a government effort to contain the spread of Covid-19. At its meeting on 12 August 2020, the Federal Council, Switzerland’s cabinet, took the decision to re-allow events of more than 1,000 people from 1 […]
Coronavirus: new cases in Switzerland reach highest daily level since April
Today, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) announced 274 new recorded cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection over 24 hours. The last time Switzerland had a daily case number above this was on 19 April 2020 when 336 new cases were recorded. It is possible that Switzerland is picking up a higher percentage of the total […]
