Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) recently reported that 66,000 people in Switzerland had been vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19. The number was communicated by Nora Kronig of the FOPH during a press conference in Bern on Thursday 14 January 2020. The 66,000 is likely to be lower than the actual […]
Covid: Swiss government extends and tightens measures
On 13 January 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council announced a 5-week extension of the current restrictions and introduced further measures. The Federal Council said that it fears the more infectious variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus could lead to a rapid rise in numbers at a time when new cases remain very high. In little more than […]
Covid: Switzerland grants approval for second vaccine
On 12 January 2021, Swissmedic, the Swiss agency for the authorisation and supervision of pharmaceutical products, approved a second vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus for the Swiss market. The vaccine from Moderna, of which the federal government has ordered around 7.5 million doses, has been approved for adults from age 18. Over the coming days […]
Covid: 2,851 cases over 24 hours in Switzerland
Today, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) announced 2,851 positive Covid-19 cases over 24 hours. The average number of new daily cases has averaged 2,344 over the last four days, a figure significantly lower than the daily averages leading up to Christmas. In the 7 days to 18 December 2020, the average number of […]
Covid: tension rises between Switzerland’s scientists and politicians
Tension between Switzerland’s scientists and politicians is rising, according to RTS. On Saturday, Christian Althaus, an epidemiologist working for the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force, Switzerland’s scientific Covid advisory team, announced his resignation and voiced his frustration on Twitter. “One of the reasons why I left the scientific task force this week. Politicians must […]
Covid: closing Swiss schools one of most effective measures, says study
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 […]
