| 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 number of tests conducted over the last 4 days is less than half the number conducted over the prior 4 days. Pressure on Switzerland’s intensive care units has eased slightly. Currently, 73.1% of ICU beds across Switzerland are occupied, according to FOPH. In some places, such as Geneva, more than half (55%) of ICU beds are free. In others, such as Zurich, ICUs are running closer to full capacity (76%). In Vaud 71% of ICU beds are occupied. The cantons with the highest 14-day infection rates per 100,000 are Ticino (906), St-Gallen (666), Aargau (628), Luzern (627), Schwytz (626) and Zurich (611). These cantons all have infection rates above the Swiss average of 540 – all data from FOPH. In Geneva (357), Vaud (413) and Valais (414) the rates are lower. |
Daily New Cases in Switzerland, January 4 . |
Overall, the reproduction number (R) in Switzerland remains below 1 (0.89). However, in much of French-speaking Switzerland it has crept above 1 once again. In Geneva the R number is 0.91. In Vaud (1.03), Valais (1.19), Jura (1.03) and Neuchâtel (1.10) the R number exceeds 1. The R number is also above 1 in the German-speaking cantons of Nidwalden (1.08), Uri (1.19) and Appenzell Innerrhoden (1.39).
R numbers are based on historical data and contain a time lag. These figures are based on data at 21 December 2020 and do not contain the effects of social contact over the festive period since then.
Some experts expect the number to be higher when it is next calculated because of increased social contact over the Christmas and New Year periods.
With a reproduction rate over 1 we are playing with fire, especially after the recent appearance of new more infectious strains of the virus, Didier Trono, a virologist at EPFL told RTS.
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