This week, the government of the canton of Fribourg decided to raise the smoking age from 16 to 18 across the canton, according to RTS. Research suggests that 57% of smokers start before the age of 18. The hope is that if tobacco is less accessible to young people fewer will end up with a […]
Covid: Switzerland’s deadliest week so far as infection rate continues to slow
Over the 7 days to 20 November 2020, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 615 deaths among laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases, bringing the death toll to 1,844 since summer and 3,575 since the beginning of the year. The 1,168 reported deaths over the last 14 days represent 33% of the total deaths so far. The most recent 7 days have […]
Coronavirus biggest concern among Swiss, according to survey
The coronavirus pandemic and its consequences rank at the top of the list of Swiss concerns in 2020, according to a recent survey. This is the first time in the history of the Crédit Suisse Worry Barometer that a new issue has topped the list of people’s worries. Following in second and third place on […]
Covid: Swiss ICU numbers reach new peak as infection rate moderates
The are currently 543 Covid-19 patients in intensive care in Switzerland, a number above the peak of 527 reached during the first wave, reported to SRF based data supplied by ICU monitoring. Over the last 48 hours, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported a further 227 deaths among laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases, bringing the death […]
Covid: 198 deaths in Switzerland over weekend as infection rate slows
Over the last 72 hours, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 198 deaths among laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases, bringing the death toll to 1,427 since summer and 3,158 since the beginning of the year. At 4,000, the number of hospitalised Covid-19 patients remains high in Switzerland, based on figures published by RTS. During the first wave, this figure peaked at […]
Government resists call to use banned insecticide to save Swiss sugar beet
The use of a class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids has been restricted in Switzerland since 2018. Neonicotinoids are a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically similar to nicotine developed in the 80s and 90s. They attack the nervous system of insects causing paralysis and death. Their use has been linked to the collapse of the […]
Swiss government wants to extend GMO ban
The use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is currently banned in Switzerland. Their use was outlawed after a majority of Swiss voters voted in favour of a moratorium on their use in 2005. This moratorium, which expires at the end of December 2021, has been extended three times since 2005. This week, the Federal Council […]
Covid: mobile data pinpoints infection hotspots
Modelling based on mobile data finds that a small minority of super spreader venues account for a large majority of infections. It also shows that restricting maximum occupancy at these places would be more effective than uniformly reducing mobility. The research, which was published this week, used anonymous mobile data covering the hourly movements of […]
Covid: 553 deaths in Switzerland this week as infection rate slows
Over the 7 days to 13 November 2020, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 553 deaths among laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases, bringing the death toll to 1,229 since summer and 2,960 since the beginning of the year. The 553 reported deaths this week represent 19% of the total so far, making the last 7 days the deadliest […]
Covid: Switzerland to spend 100 million francs more on vaccines
Switzerland’s federal government has increased the amount of money earmarked for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines by CHF 100 million, bringing the total to CHF 400 million. The announcement came as preliminary trials of a vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech found it to be more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 in participants without evidence of prior […]
