On 11 August 2021, at the federal government’s weekly briefing on Covid-19, Swiss health minister Alain Berset said that the government accepts that the numbers will increase, while explaining that no changes would be made to the current measures. Remaining restrictions in Switzerland include wearing masks in public transport and in some indoor areas, a […]
Covid: second vaccine approved for use on 12 to 17 year olds in Switzerland
Swissmedic, Switzerland’s drug approval agency, extended approval of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for use on 12 to 17 year olds this week. On 9 August 2021, Swissmedic said that it had carefully examined an application from Moderna Switzerland and had decided to extend the temporary authorisation for the use of its Spikevax vaccine on 12 […]
Covid: post-holiday tests encouraged by Swiss authorities
On Monday 2 August 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) launched a campaign to encourage people to get tested for Covid-19 after returning from holiday travel, reported RTS. The FOPH recommends all those that haven’t been vaccinated or recently recovered to get tested when they return to Switzerland, even if they have no […]
Covid: Swiss cases up 26% this week but deaths remain low
This week, 6,303 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Switzerland, up 26% from the week before (4,988). At the same time the week saw 3 deaths, the same number as the week before. Most of the vulnerable have now been been vaccinated in Switzerland and the vast majority of new cases are now among […]
Personal views on Covid wrecking relationships in Switzerland
A recent survey reveals the negative impact differing views on Covid are having on relationships in Switzerland. 62% of those surveyed said they were currently engaged in a disagreement over how the disease should be dealt with. And 26% had already broken off contact with someone as a result, reports SRF. Covid conflict is affecting […]
Unvaccinated 80 times more likely to catch Covid-19, finds Swiss study
Recent analysis of data done in the Swiss canton of Vaud found rate of Covid-19 was 83 times higher among the unvaccinated than those who had received two shots of vaccine, reported RTS. During the last two weeks of July 2021, the rate of infection among the vaccinated population was 2.6 per 100,000 compared to […]
Covid: Swiss cases rise this week as vaccination grinds to a halt
Since the beginning of July 2021, the percentage of Switzerland’s population that has received at least one shot of Covid-19 vaccine has risen by only around 3 percentage points. Switzerland now has one of the lowest daily and cumulative vaccination rates in western Europe. Switzerland is now 15 percentage points behind the UK, 12 behind […]
Covid: Swiss cases continue to rise this week
This week, 4,692 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Switzerland, up 55% on the number the week before (3,033). The daily number of cases on a 7-day rolling average was 670. The faster spreading Delta variant made up nearly all (97%) of the samples sequenced in Switzerland on 12 July 2021. Despite rising cases, the number […]
Covid: call for unvaccinated to pay own hospital costs
Swiss parliamentarian Kurt Fluri (PLR/FDP) has suggested that those failing to get vaccinated who end up in hospital with Covid-19 be required to pay for the costs of their care out of their own pockets, according to the newspaper Le Matin. On 21 July 2021, Fluri put forward the suggestion via Switzerland’s German-speaking press as […]
Pressure mounts to end Switzerland’s free Covid tests
As queues become a more common sight outside Swiss night clubs, political pressure is mounting to end free Covid-19 tests that can allow the unvaccinated and unrecovered to enter clubs, according to 20 Minutes. Some politicians would like to see an end to taxpayer-funded raid antigen tests, which cost around CHF 50 a time. In […]
