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Tag Archives: Editor’s Choice

Covid: time to double down, says Swiss expert

© Michael Müller | Dreamstime.com 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. New faster spreading variants mean the headline case numbers are...

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Covid: Israel’s vaccine experiment looks promising

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. Israel’s strategy has focused on protecting the most vulnerable first. By 6 February 2021, 80% of the population over 60 had been vaccinated, compared to less than half that percentage among those under 60 – see chart...

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Swiss shares can now be traded again in London

On 1 July 2019, the EU withdrew stock market equivalence for equity securities listed on the Swiss stock exchange. Since then it has not been possible to trade Swiss-listed shares in the EU. © Liskonogaleksey | Dreamstime.comThe loss of EU financial market equivalence occurred while Switzerland was haggling with Brussels over a framework agreement aimed at replacing Switzerland’s patchwork of bilateral agreements with the EU, which cover matter such as trade and migration. On 1 July...

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Covid: responding to coronavirus denial

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. Conspiracy theories and misinformation have contributed to this trend and reduced the adoption of measures to control the spread of the virus, said the...

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Vaccine delays costing Switzerland up to 100 million francs a day

A recent study by Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force calculates that vaccination delays are reducing Switzerland’s national output (GDP) by between CHF 50 – 100 million per day, according to RTS. © Ballok Beata | Dreamstime.comMarius Brülhart, an economics professor, told the broadcaster that vaccinating as fast as possible is important not only from a health stand point but also from an economic one. Some nations have already managed to vaccinate a significantly higher...

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6 billion franc Swiss National Bank payment after new agreement

Switzerland’s Federal Department of Finance (FDF) and the Swiss National Bank (SNB), Switzerland’s central bank, have signed a new agreement on how SNB profits can be distributed. Source: Swiss National BankThe new agreement, which applies until 2025, allows for the SNB to make an annual payment of up to CHF 6 billion to the government, should central bank finances permit. Previously, the maximum payment was CHF 4 billion. The CHF 6 billion payment is made up of a base amount of CHF 2...

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Swiss retail sales up in 2020 despite pandemic

Despite on and off closures of Swiss retailers last year, total 2020 retail sales figures rose by 0.1% compared to 2019. © Marlon Trottmann | Dreamstime.comSwitzerland’s backdrop of negative inflation, meant real total year-on-year retail sales rose by 0.8%. However, headline sales numbers masks significant variations by retail sector. While e-commerce (+14.1%), sales of technology (+13.8%) and food, drink and tobacco sales (+8.5%) rose substantially, retail sectors such as shoes and...

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

Verbier ski lift © Le News SARL 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. Ski resorts have been working hard to control crowds and police mask wearing. At Verbier, ‘Covid Angels’ are ever present, reminding people to pull masks up over noses and have relieved a number of the worst transgressors of their...

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

This week, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 17,245 positive Covid-19 cases and 387 deaths. Over the seven days to 15 January 2021, the number daily cases reported in Switzerland averaged 2,464. This figure is significantly below the daily reported average leading up to Christmas. In the 7 days to 18 December 2020, the average daily number was around 4,300. Over the last 24 hours the results of 25,092 tests were reported, with test...

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Covid: Switzerland reaches 66,000 vaccinations against the virus

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. © Oxana Medvedeva | Dreamstime.com - Click to enlarge 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 number because of delays in the flow of information from cantonal health...

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