On 23 June 2020, Switzerland’s seismology service reported an earthquake measuring 3.8 at 8.25 am in Chamonix, France, 4,5 km below the surface. The shake was felt in parts of the cantons of Vaud and Valais. Comments on Chamonix’s municipal Facebook page reported trembling windows and sounds like an explosion. No damage was reported. Mountain […]
Swiss parliament votes in favour of flight tax
A majority of Switzerland’s parliament voted in favour of introducing a tax on flights departing from Switzerland. 132 voted in favour of the tax, with 65 against. The tax would range from CHF 30 to CHF 120 depending on the distance and class of travel, according to 20 Minutes. Private flights would be taxed too. […]
Swiss coronavirus tests now partly covered by health insurance
Yesterday, the Swiss government announced that diagnostic tests for the novel coronavirus (novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2) will be covered by compulsory Swiss health insurance up to a maximum of CHF 180 from 4 March 2020. Until this announcement it was unclear who would pay for the tests. Now the cost will be borne by health insurance […]
Swiss health authority adds avoiding handshakes to coronavirus advice
In response to the increased spread of the novel Coronavirus Switzerland’s health authority has issued new hygiene advice, which includes avoiding hand shakes. This additional measure was added recently along with two others: dispose of used paper tissues in a sealed waste bin and always call ahead before going to the doctor’s or the emergency […]
Some in Basel defy Swiss government ban on gatherings
Hundreds of people defied a federal government ban on gatherings in Basel, according to RTS. The Basel Fasnacht, a highlight of the city’s calendar, was cancelled after Switzerland’s federal government banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people in an attempt to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. However, the cancellation did not stop everyone. […]
Coronavirus: map of Swiss cases by canton – updated
Swiss broadcaster RTS has created a list of charts showing the rates of infection over the last 14 days by canton. In addition to the numbers presented above, here are a few other data sources. The first two have charts showing numbers by canton. Tribune de Genève – this gives a breakdown of Swiss data […]
Switzerland set for warmest recorded winter
Switzerland is heading for its warmest winter since records began in 1864, according to Swiss Meteo. The average temperature across the period from December to February was 0.7 degrees, according to the weather forecaster. This winter brought a more consistent than normal warm air current from the Atlantic ocean. This has prevented cold air descending […]
Bird flu risk rises in Switzerland
Bird flu risk is currently high warns Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO). At the end of 2019, the bird flu virus H5N8 was discovered on a number of poultry farms in Poland. In addition, several cases have been reported on farms in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Czech Republic and Ukraine. Among wild birds, […]
Swiss private bank Pictet to drop fossil fuel investments
Recently, the private bank Pictet, based in Geneva, announced plans to eliminate all of its investments in companies actively associated with the production and extraction of fossil fuels, according to a press release. The bank defines companies actively associated with the production and extraction of fossil fuels as those generating more than 25% of their […]
Swiss environmental agency sets no date for 5G launch
Earlier this week, Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) announced it had contacted the cantons at the end of January 2020, informing them it had not set a date for switching on 5G networks. However, mobile networks plan to continue installing 5G equipment after rolling out more than 2,000 antenna last year – a […]
