On 20 September 2021, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients announced the United States would reopen to fully vaccinated travellers from 33 countries in early November 2021. Travel from Europe to the US ended on 20 January 2020 after then-President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at stemming the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 […]
Entry into Switzerland more difficult from 20 September
On 17 September 2021, the Federal Council announced new testing and administrative requirements for entering Switzerland. The move comes at a time of concern over the impact of approaching cold weather and autumn holidays on the spread of the virus. Last year, the number of Covid-19 patients in Swiss hospitals rose sharply in October. At […]
SWISS considers extending vaccination obligation to passengers
During an RTS interview on the airline’s Covid-19 response SWISS boss Dieter Vranckx discussed how an obligation to vaccinate could be extended to passengers flying on specific routes. On 24 August 2012, Swiss decided to make vaccination mandatory for all cabin crew. According to Vranckx, a similar policy could be applied to passengers on certain […]
US moves Switzerland to its highest Covid-19 risk level
On 30 August 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised the travel advisory risk levels of seven nations, including Switzerland, from level 3 (Covid-19 high) to level 4 (Covid-19 very high), the highest level. The CDC and US state department advise people in the US to avoid travelling to Switzerland and […]
Zurich airport: 5% to 10% of passengers not boarding due to Covid document issues
During July 2021, around 5% to 10% of long-haul passengers, many in transit, were unable to depart from Zurich airport because their Covid-19 documents did not comply with destination country regulations, reported the newspaper Le Temps. In June 2021, around 700 passengers, most of which were in transit, found themselves stuck at Zurich airport. According […]
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 […]
Some charging for rapid Covid tests that are supposed to be free
According to a report by the newspaper Le Matin, some testing centres in Switzerland are charging for rapid antigen tests despite the federal government announcing it would cover the cost of these tests. With many holiday destinations still requiring negative Covid-19 tests as a condition of entry, those heading across borders for the summer holidays […]
EU now accepts Swiss Covid certificates
The European Commission has given the Swiss Covid certificate a green light for inclusion on the EU-wide digital Covid certificate platform. This means that holders of Swiss Covid certificates are able to present their Swiss-issued Covid certificate QR codes at ports of entry into EU nations under the same conditions as holders of certificates from […]
EU recognition of Swiss Covid certificate imminent
According to RTS, Brussels is close to giving the Swiss Covid certificate a green light for inclusion on the EU-wide digital Covid certificate platform. This means that Swiss residents will soon be able to present their Swiss-issued Covid certificate QR codes at ports of entry into EU nations. Swiss digital Covid certificates are expected to […]
Covid: Swiss cases down 6% this week
This week, 827 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Switzerland, down 6% from the week before (880). The daily number of cases on a 7-day rolling average was 118. In line with lower new case numbers, only 11 people were reported being admitted to hospital in Switzerland with Covid-19 this week, down from 22 the […]
