By Edward Girardet For a nation that prides itself on being on the global forefront of new technologies and science, particularly health care, Switzerland has an astoundingly poor record for dealing with Covid-19. The Lake Geneva region, which borders locked-down France, ranks as one of the worst coronavirus hotspots in Europe. Оформить займ 10000 на […]
Swiss politician wants Covid-19 scientific advisory group disbanded
The Swiss government response to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has drawn criticism from the Swiss Peoples Party (UDC/SVP). One party member has called for the scientific advisory group, known as the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force, to be disbanded, according to the newspaper Blick. The scientific advisory group supports the Federal Council, […]
Switzerland could be only nation in Europe to keep ski resorts open
Both France and Germany have announced that they will not allow ski resorts to open this year. Italy recently back tracked on a plan to allow resorts to open and Austria is undecided. During the first wave of infections during spring, ski resorts were hotspots for the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The Austrian resort […]
Covid-19 vaccine could be approved in Switzerland in first quarter of 2021
The US and EU have announced the possibility of beginning vaccinations in December 2020, however, in Switzerland it is likely to take longer. Philippe Girard, a director at Swissmedic, the body that approves drugs in Switzerland, discussed the process in an interview on RTS. Unlike the US and the EU, Switzerland has no law allowing […]
Non-essential shops to reopen in Geneva
Retailers in the canton of Geneva are allowed to reopen on Saturday 28 November 2020, announced the canton’s government this week. Non-essential businesses have been closed in Geneva since the beginning of November as part of a set of measure design to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus introduced by the government. The reopening […]
Covid: Switzerland’s weekly reported death toll climbs further
Over the 7 days to 27 November 2020, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 675 new deaths among laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases, bringing the death toll to 2,519 since summer and 4,250 since the beginning of the year. The 1,843 reported Covid-19 deaths over the last 3 weeks represent 43% of the total deaths so far in Switzerland. As the […]
Covid: French-speaking Switzerland to reopen retail and restaurants
The SARS-CoV-2 virus has hit French-speaking Switzerland harder than the rest of Switzerland both before and since summer. 44% of Swiss Covid-19 deaths have occurred in the cantons of Valais, Vaud, Geneva, Fribourg and Neuchâtel, despite making up only 25% of the country’s population. At a recent press conference, Martin Ackermann, head of the Covid-19 […]
Covid: Switzerland’s infection rate continued to slow over the weekend
Over the weekend, Switzerland averaged 3,250 new daily recorded cases (9,751 over 72 hours). This represents a significant drop from the daily peak of 10,128 cases reported on 5 November 2020. The 7-day moving average number of new cases in Switzerland is currently more than 40% below the peak around 2.5 weeks ago. At the […]
Covid: only the vaccinated get to travel abroad, suggests Swiss infectious disease expert
Resistance to vaccinations is significant in Switzerland. A survey done in November 2020 suggests only 16% of the population would get vaccinated immediately if there was an approved Covid-19 vaccine, reported 20 Minutes. More than a quarter (28%) of those surveyed said they would refuse, leaving a majority who said they would decide at some […]
Swiss family relations worsened more after confinement than during it
Recently published research suggests family relations in Switzerland deteriorated more after pandemic-induced confinement rather than during it. A study conducted by the University of Luzern showed that family conflict rose more after lockdown rather than during it. People in families were asked how they felt during the eight weeks of restrictions over spring and over […]
