At its meeting on 11 December, the Federal Council tightened its measures to counter the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The aim is to reduce the level of contact between people and to prevent people from gathering together and spreading the virus. The level of infection has remained stubbornly high over the last two weeks, […]
Switzerland’s population happy with the health system, according to survey
Switzerland’s health system is rated highly by the public, according to the latest survey conducted in eleven countries by the Commonwealth Fund Foundation. Every 3 years, the Foundation conducts a survey of the general population in eleven countries to investigate experiences of the health system. 88% of the 2,284 people surveyed across all of Switzerland […]
Covid: Emergency vaccine approval not an option in Switzerland
Emergency approval of vaccines is not legally possible in Switzerland, according to Swissmedic, Switzerland’s drug approval body. However, Swissmedic says it is working closely with international partner authorities and is urgently reviewing all applications for Covid-19 vaccines and processing the information as it becomes available. Emergency approvals for the use of vaccines fall short of […]
Covid: Swiss deaths remain high as new cases rise
This week the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 548 Covid-19 deaths, 8% fewer than last week (598). Hospital staff reported they were suffering from exhaustion. Switzerland’s hospitalised Covid-19 patient numbers remain high. There are currently 2,878 hospitalised, a figure similar to the end of last week (2,866). The number is predicted rise to […]
One third of patients suffer long-Covid, according to Swiss study
A study run by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and Geneva’s HUG hospital (HUG) found around a third of those with Covid-19 had persistent symptoms. The study focused on a sample of 669 patients among 5,534 testing positive for Covid-19 during the study period. Only symptomatic patients were being tested between 18 March and 15 […]
Covid: why have Switzerland’s restrictions not worked?
Didier Pittet, head of the infection prevention and control at Geneva’s HUG hospital, responds to this question in an interview on RTS. According to Pittet, the virus is now widespread and testing is only picking up around a third of actual cases, leaving many undetected patients to potentially spread the disease. Pittet described the current […]
Covid vaccinations will be free in Switzerland
On 9 December 2020, Switzerland’s federal government adopted a change to the rules on healthcare to make vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus free to the public. The cost of vaccinations will be covered by health insurance, the cantons and Switzerland’s federal government. Early on in the pandemic in March 2020, the Swiss government decided the […]
Italy suspends rail links with Switzerland
Update: It appears rail connections between Italy and Switzerland will not be interrupted after Switzerland’s president and the Italian minister of transport spoke on Wednesday. Solutions have been identified to ensure compliance with Italy’s anti-COVID measures. Rail links are expected to gradually return to normal over the next few days, according to a report by […]
Covid: Bern to consider new measures as cases rise again
On 8 December 2020, Switzerland’s Federal Council announced it was considering further restrictions starting from 12 December 2020 and running until 20 January 2021. The Federal Council announced that it plans to harmonise and reinforce measures recently introduced by the cantons. It will meet on 11 December 2020 and again on 18 December 2020 to […]
Covid: cantons asked to do more after another deadly week in Switzerland
Today, Switzerland’s Federal Council called on cantons with increasing case numbers to take immediate action. It described the epidemiological situation as extremely serious. This week the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 598 Covid-19 deaths, 11% fewer than last week (675), but a figure that remains tragically high. Switzerland’s Covid-19 death toll has now […]
