Since the beginning of July 2021, the percentage of Switzerland’s population that has received at least one shot of Covid-19 vaccine has risen by only around 3 percentage points. Switzerland now has one of the lowest daily and cumulative vaccination rates in western Europe. Switzerland is now 15 percentage points behind the UK, 12 behind […]
UK drops quarantine for fully vaccinated European and US visitors
On 29 July 2021, Grant Shapps, UK Secretary of State for Transport, announced that quarantine rules for fully vaccinated people arriving from the US and nations in Europe on the UK’s amber list would be relaxed and that no quarantine would be required for these travellers on arrival in the UK. Via Twitter, Shapps said […]
Infectious diseases down sharply in Switzerland with one exception
Most common infectious diseases fell sharply in Switzerland in 2020, according to recently published data from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). However, one rose. Measures put in place to slow the spread of Covid-19 appear to have cut the spread of most common infectious diseases in Switzerland in 2020. The FOPH examined the […]
Robot mowers harmful to hedgehogs, according to study
Quiet, slow moving robot mowers might look quite harmless. However, research suggests many are not, reports RTS. Research presented by Swiss Animal Protection, reveals robot mowers present a high risk for hedgehogs. According to tests, 11 out of the 18 robot mowers tested present a high risk injury of death to hedgehogs, particularly young ones. […]
WHO describes Swiss vaccination strategy as a moral scandal
Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the WHO has criticised Switzerland and other nations, describing elements of their Covid-19 vaccination strategies as a “moral scandal”, reported 20 Minutes. Over the weekend the SonntagsZeitung reported that Tedros Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO, had described the fact that so far three quarters of all vaccinations had been administered […]
Covid: Swiss cases continue to rise this week
This week, 4,692 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Switzerland, up 55% on the number the week before (3,033). The daily number of cases on a 7-day rolling average was 670. The faster spreading Delta variant made up nearly all (97%) of the samples sequenced in Switzerland on 12 July 2021. Despite rising cases, the number […]
Italy to require Covid certificates to access restaurants and cinemas from 6 August
Today, Italy announced that valid Covid certificates will allow anyone 12 years old or over to dine indoors, go to cinemas or attend sports events, reported RSI. The rule change, which will come into effect on 6 August 2021, will allow those aged 12 and over who have received at least one dose of an […]
Covid: call for unvaccinated to pay own hospital costs
Swiss parliamentarian Kurt Fluri (PLR/FDP) has suggested that those failing to get vaccinated who end up in hospital with Covid-19 be required to pay for the costs of their care out of their own pockets, according to the newspaper Le Matin. On 21 July 2021, Fluri put forward the suggestion via Switzerland’s German-speaking press as […]
Pressure mounts to end Switzerland’s free Covid tests
As queues become a more common sight outside Swiss night clubs, political pressure is mounting to end free Covid-19 tests that can allow the unvaccinated and unrecovered to enter clubs, according to 20 Minutes. Some politicians would like to see an end to taxpayer-funded raid antigen tests, which cost around CHF 50 a time. In […]
Antigen test option may be removed from Swiss Covid certificate
Experts from the Swiss National Covid-19 Science Task Force are concerned by the recent rise in Covid-19 cases in Switzerland and are looking for ways to improve the reliability of the Swiss Covid certificate. One option would be to remove the negative test option, reported Le Matin. In Switzerland, there are three ways to get […]
