Covid, November 10: no time to relax, says minister as 3-day Swiss case number returns to 17,000

New Infections

On 9 November 2020, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 17,309 new laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases over 72 hours, bringing the total to 229,222.

The 24-hour average number of new cases of 5,770 recorded over the weekend is lower than the previous weekend when it was 7,309 (21,926 over 72 hours).

However, Alain Berset, the minister in charge of health care in Switzerland, told an audience in Jura that now is not the time to relax, according to RTS. Hospitals and nursing homes are under great stress, said the minister. Certain cantons are being forced to transfer patients to other cantons as they have reached the limit of their intensive care capacity.

Daily Reported Cases Switzerland, November 10

Source: corona-data.ch - Click to enlarge

Hospitalisations

There are currently 3,833 Covid-19 patients in hospitals across Switzerland, according to FOPH figures published by RTS. And the number of hospitalised Covid patients continues to rise, rising by 60% over the last 10 days.

Today, Switzerland was using 72% of its current intensive care places (1,108), according to SRF. However, according to Berset, the problem now is not a shortage of equipment, as it was during the first wave, but hospital staff working under extreme pressure.

Change in Hospitalizations, November 10

Source: corona-data.ch - Click to enlarge

Deaths because of and with Covid19

A further 169 deaths among laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases were reported on 9 November 2020, bringing the total since summer to 845.

Daily Fatalities Switzerland, November 10

Source: corona-data.ch - Click to enlarge

Covid19 in Europe

The following represents the situation in Europe.

In this graph Switzerland is grey, but it should be red given that the 13day rate per 100.000 is higher than 240.

13-day COVID-19 case notification rate per 100 000

Source: ecdc.europa.eu - Click to enlarge