Last week, at a gathering in Madrid, Switzerland put forward a selection of three Swiss villages in the hope that the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) would include them on its list of “Best Tourism Villages”. To qualify for selection, Swiss villages had to promote local activities, such as farming and wine making and […]
Switzerland bans flights from southern Africa
Flights to Switzerland from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa have been halted, reported RTS. In addition, anyone arriving in Switzerland from Hong Kong, Israel or Belgium, must now show a negative Covid test and quarantine for 10 days, announced the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) on 26 November 2021. Entry […]
Trains running again between Lausanne and Geneva after 3-day outage
On Tuesday, trains services between Geneva and Lausanne were halted after the ground near part of the rail network collapsed in Tolochenaz near Morges. Trains started operating between the two cities early on Friday morning after a 3-day hiatus. From 5 am on Friday trains started running but were required to slow to 20 km/h […]
Covid passes may be required on Swiss ski lifts this season
This week, Switzerland’s lift association (RMS) put together a health protection plan for the coming ski season, which includes the possibility of introducing a requirement to present a valid Covid certificate to access lifts, reported RTS. Like last winter, RMS decided that lift users will need to wear masks in enclosed lifts and keep the […]
What you need to know about the new Swiss Covid certificates
On 3 November 2021, the Swiss government added some upgrades to Swiss Covid certificates that expand the ways they can be obtained and their validity when used in Switzerland. The changes will only be valid in Switzerland and come into effect on 16 November 2021. Validity extension for the recovered Those who have a PCR […]
100 franc fines for entering Switzerland without right forms
Since new requirements were introduced, a number of people have been fined after entering Switzerland without the correct Covid related documents or tests, reports Le Matin. Since 20 September 2021, nearly everyone entering Switzerland has been required to fill out a passenger locator form (PLF) and present proof of either full vaccination, recovery or a […]
US to reopen to fully vaccinated travellers from Switzerland
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 […]
