During July 2021, around 5% to 10% of long-haul passengers, many in transit, were unable to depart from Zurich airport because their Covid-19 documents did not comply with destination country regulations, reported the newspaper Le Temps. In June 2021, around 700 passengers, most of which were in transit, found themselves stuck at Zurich airport. According […]
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 […]
Antigen test option may be removed from Swiss Covid certificate
Experts from the Swiss National Covid-19 Science Task Force are concerned by the recent rise in Covid-19 cases in Switzerland and are looking for ways to improve the reliability of the Swiss Covid certificate. One option would be to remove the negative test option, reported Le Matin. In Switzerland, there are three ways to get […]
Switzerland to spend 6 million encouraging the fearful and indifferent to get vaccinated
As the number of unvaccinated people turning up for a shot dwindles and vaccination centres close, Switzerland’s federal government is launching a promotional effort to encourage those indifferent to or afraid of jabs to come forward and get vaccinated against Covid-19. Switzerland’s vaccination programme has almost ground to a halt. The percentage of the population […]
Covid: Swiss cases nearly double this week as vaccination stalls
This week, 3,033 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Switzerland, nearly double (+89%) the number the week before (1,609). The daily number of cases on a 7-day rolling average was 433. The faster spreading Delta variant made up 83% of all samples sequenced in Switzerland on 5 July 2021. The number of Covid-19 hospitalisations and deaths in […]
Some charging for rapid Covid tests that are supposed to be free
According to a report by the newspaper Le Matin, some testing centres in Switzerland are charging for rapid antigen tests despite the federal government announcing it would cover the cost of these tests. With many holiday destinations still requiring negative Covid-19 tests as a condition of entry, those heading across borders for the summer holidays […]