Tag Archive: Health

Covid: the 3 phases of Switzerland’s return to normal

2021-04-24

by

2021-04-24

This week, Switzerland’s government set out the three phases of its plan to return to normal at a press conference recorded by RTS. The first is the protection phase, which we are currently in. This involves vaccinating the vulnerable and could last until the end of May 2021.

Read More »

Covid: 80 percent of nation must be immunised to stop spread, says Swiss health minister

2021-04-23

by

2021-04-23

This week, Alain Berset, Switzerland’s health minister said that 80% of the population must be immunised for the virus to stop spreading, according to RTS. Vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus is voluntary in Switzerland.

Read More »

Government faces growing pressure to relax Covid measures

2021-04-13

by

2021-04-13

Pressure is building on the Swiss government to ease restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Federation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises on Monday called for a review of the current situation, saying the government was focusing too much on health while failing to consider the economic and financial impact of the restrictions.

Read More »

IMF praises Switzerland’s economic response to the pandemic

2021-04-10

by

2021-04-10

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Switzerland has economically navigated the Covid-19 pandemic well so far. In 2020, the Swiss economy shrank by 2.9%, far less than many other advanced European economies. France (-8.2%), Germany (-4.9%), Italy (-8.9%) and the UK (-9.9%) all performed far worse.

Read More »

France asks Switzerland for help with Covid patients

2021-04-09

by

2021-04-09

The French region of Bourgogne-Franche Comté has contacted several Swiss cantons and asked them if they would take Covid patients, according to RTS. Jacques Gerber, the minister of health in the canton of Jura told RTS that there had been a request from France to prepare in case French hospitals become overloaded.

Read More »

Flu deaths surprisingly rare in Switzerland

2021-03-15

by

2021-03-15

Sometimes comparisons are drawn between the seasonal flu and Covid-19. But how many die from the seasonal flu in a typical year? According to Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office, surprisingly few.

Read More »

Most adults in rich nations face long wait for vaccine, distributor warns

2021-03-09

by

2021-03-09

More than half of adults in rich countries will still be waiting to receive a first dose of coronavirus vaccine in 15 months’ time, the head of a logistics group distributing jabs has warned. Detlef Trefzger, chief executive of Kuehne+Nagel, one of the world’s largest haulage companies, said: “This already is fast. This sounds shocking for some people, but we have to be realistic.”

Read More »

Switzerland’s low-income earners hit far harder despite lower Covid-19 infection rates

2021-02-28

by

2021-02-28

The economic impact of the Covid-​19 pandemic has hit low-income households far harder than those on high incomes, according to a study published by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich.

Read More »

Record fall in Swiss hotel occupancy in 2020

2021-02-26

by

2021-02-26

In 2020, the number of overnight stays in Swiss hotels fell by 40% to 23.7 million, a fall of 15.8 million nights compared to 2019. The fall, driven by Covid-19, is the largest fall in overnight stays in Switzerland since the end of the 1950s, according to Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office.

Read More »

Covid: new negative test requirement for entering Switzerland

2021-02-11

by

2021-02-11

From Monday 8 February 2021, many people entering Switzerland require a negative PCR test. Currently, there are restrictions on who can enter Switzerland. Generally, only those with a Swiss passport, a valid Swiss residence or cross-border permit, and those who are citizens of an EU or EFTA nation are allowed to enter Switzerland under the current Covid-19 restrictions.

Read More »

Covid: time to double down, says Swiss expert

2021-02-10

by

2021-02-10

Since reaching a peak in early November 2020, Covid-19 cases in Switzerland have fallen significantly. The 7-day daily average was 8,238 on 8 November 2020. By 8 February 2021, this figure was down by more than 80% at 1,437. However, according to Martin Ackermann, head of the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force, now is not the time for Switzerland to relax.

Read More »

Covid: Israel’s vaccine experiment looks promising

2021-02-09

by

2021-02-09

Israel leads the world in the race to vaccinate against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, in what some are calling the world’s leading Covid-19 vaccine experiment. 64 doses of vaccine per 100 people have been administered there, far more than in any other nation.

Read More »

Covid: responding to coronavirus denial

2021-02-05

by

2021-02-05

This week, the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force published a guide on responding to coronavirus denial. During second wave, trust in the decisions of the Swiss authorities dropped below where it was in spring, and the social consensus on how to respond to the pandemic eroded over the summer, said the authors.

Read More »

Can Novartis really make its medicines available to everyone?

2021-02-05

by

2021-02-05

Novartis has said it wants everyone in the world to be able to access its products, even multi-million-dollar gene therapies. Can its experiment work?

Read More »

Johnson & Johnson Swiss branch relocation threatens 320 jobs

2021-01-29

by

2021-01-29

American pharma group Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is to transfer four of its canton Neuchâtel-based subsidiaries to other locations – including abroad. The move is expected to result in the loss of up to 320 jobs by mid-2023.

Read More »

Covid: a majority of Swiss in favour of closing ski lifts

2021-01-29

by

2021-01-29

According to a recent survey by Swiss media company Tamedia, 55% of the population is in favour of closing the country’s ski domains if the Covid-19 situation gets worse. reported the newspaper 20 Minutes.

Read More »

How Vaccine Technology, Choice and Supply Work in Switzerland

2021-01-24

by

2021-01-24

The Swiss Covid-19 vaccination campaign is up and running with two approved vaccines available to accelerate the fight against the virus, and others set to follow. How do the vaccine technologies work and compare, and can people choose which one they get?

Read More »

Covid: 17,245 cases and 387 deaths reported in Switzerland this week

2021-01-18

by

2021-01-18

This week, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 17,245 positive Covid-19 cases and 387 deaths.

Read More »

Covid: Switzerland reaches 66,000 vaccinations against the virus

2021-01-16

by

2021-01-16

Oxana Medvedeva
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.

Read More »

Covid: tension rises between Switzerland’s scientists and politicians

2021-01-15

by

2021-01-15

Petr Pohudka
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.

Read More »