4 February 2022. By Neptune NOS OTAGES (UND MORGEN SEID IHR TOT) *** (vo Swiss German or French) This meticulous reconstruction of a controversial hostage event is a harrowing experience, as it was for the real Swiss husband and wife, Daniela Widmer and David Och, taken captive by the Taliban somewhere between Pakistan and Afghanistan […]
Top 10 concerns among Swiss in 2021
The Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences have topped the list of worries in Switzerland again in 2021, followed closely by environmental protection and climate change, as well as concerns about the state pensions. Every year, the bank Credit Suisse publishes the results of a survey of the top concerns of Swiss voters. Like last year, […]
Football: Switzerland makes it through to 2022 World Cup
On 15 November 2021, Switzerland won 4-0 against Bulgaria in Luzern, making Switzerland the winning team in its group, reported Le Matin. The win on Monday means Switzerland has a place in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The quadrennial football match will see 32 national teams compete between 21 November and 18 December 2022. […]
Covid: Switzerland looks at third vaccine doses
Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) is looking at following the EU and authorising third doses of Covid-19 vaccines, reported 20 Minutes. The FOPH is also considering extending the validity of Covid-19 certificates issued to those who have recovered from the disease. This group currently gets 180 days from the date of a positive […]
Swiss government to donate its stock of Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine
After ordering millions of doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, Switzerland has decided to stick to using only the two mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna and donate its doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to other countries. According to Virginie Masserey, head of infectious disease control at Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), the […]
Covid: restrictions could end in August, says Swiss health minister
On 30 May 2021, Alain Berset, Switzerland’s health minister said in an interview on RTS that he thought a return to normality could be possible in August 2021 if vaccinations progress as hoped. On 31 May 2021, Switzerland entered the stabilisation phase, the second last stage of its return to normality. Restaurants began welcoming guests […]
New Swiss maps go live
After seven years of work, the 400+ staff at swisstopo have launched the next generation of Swiss maps. The work has resulted in a huge database of digital geo data that allows nearly every feature of the land and every street and building to be rendered in 3D based on digital vectors. The database contains […]
Covid: no additional restrictions in Switzerland
On 30 December 2020, Switzerland’s Federal Council meet to discuss the epidemiological situation in Switzerland, which it described as concerning. However, it decided to leave the restrictions at the current level set on 18 December 2020. In addition, it said that the latest (18 December 2020) reproduction rate was 0.86, a rate which suggests the […]
Coronavirus: high rate of antibodies in Ticino, according to study
A recently published study suggests 11% of the population aged 20-64 in the Swiss canton of Ticino has come into contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first results of the Corona Immunitas Ticino project, conducted by the Institute of Public Health of Università della Svizzera italiana and the Department of Business Administration, Health and Social […]
Coronavirus: new study may help to explain why men at higher risk
A recently published study shows that men’s blood contains greater concentrations of an enzyme that helps SARS-CoV-2 infect cells. Researchers in the Netherlands have discovered that men have higher levels of ACE2 in their blood than women. The enzyme, found in higher concentrations in male blood plasma, allows the virus to infect cells with the […]