The number of Covid cases went down significantly in Switzerland during spring as a result of schools closing, according to a study by ETH Zurich, reported RTS. Researchers at the university analysed anonymised mobile phone data of 1.5 billion movements of the Swiss population between 10 February and 26 April 2020. They used this data […]
Covid: willingness to vaccinate rises to 50% in Switzerland
A recently published survey shows a marked rise in the number willing to get vaccinated in Switzerland, according to Blick. The survey by the University of Zurich on vaccination attitudes, suggests the percentage likely or very likely to get vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Switzerland has risen from 41% to 50%. The latest round […]
Covid: federal restrictions set to run until end of February in all cantons
With an infection rate that refuses to budge, Switzerland’s federal government decided today it would like to extend the current restrictions until the end of February 2021. It also announced it would remove cantonal exceptions and apply federal restrictions universally across the whole country from 9 January 2021. The Federal Council plans to discuss extending […]
Covid: fast-spreading UK variant detected in seven Swiss cantons
The fast spreading variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus discovered in the UK has now been detected in seven Swiss cantons, according to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), reported RTS. So far 28 people in Switzerland have tested positive for the new UK variant, said Virginie Masserey of the FOPH. The variant has been […]
Covid: restrictions tightened in western Switzerland
Governments in the cantons of Neuchâtel, Vaud and Valais recently tightened Covid rules as required by the federal government. On 18 December 2020, Switzerland’s Federal Council tightened restrictions to fight against the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Under the federal rules Switzerland’s cantons were allowed to keep certain things open provided the reproduction rate remained […]
Covid: Swiss production of Moderna vaccine to start
While Swissmedic, Switzerland’s drug authorising agency, has yet to approve Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, Swiss authorities have given Swiss-based Lonza Group a green light to start manufacturing the product at a plant in Switzerland, according to the SonntagsZeitung. Moderna’s mRNA vaccine was the second to be approved by regulators in the US after the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine […]
Covid: 9,665 new cases over 4 days in Switzerland
Over the 4 days to 4 January 2020, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 9,665 new cases and 189 deaths bringing Switzerland’s Covid-19 death toll to 7,831 (confirmed 7,271). On 4 January 2021, Switzerland’s 14-day infection rate was 540 per 100,000. Over the last 4 days, 63,665 tests were conducted with test positivity of 15%. The […]
Pandemic dents financial optimism for 2021 in Switzerland
18% of Swiss adults are convinced their financial situation will worsen in 2021, according to a survey. This percentage is markedly higher than at the end of 2019 when the same figure was 13%. The rise in pessimism is largely linked to job insecurity. 68% are concerned they will face full or partial unemployment, while […]
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 […]
Covid: we were too optimistic after first wave, said Swiss health minister
In a broadcast on Swiss broadcaster SRF over the weekend, Alain Berset, Switzerland’s health minister said the government was too optimistic after the first wave. “We felt the worst was over, which was an error”, said the minister. In the broadcast, Berset talked of the high level of strain he felt during the first wave. […]
