© Andrey Popov | Dreamstime.com Recent analysis of data done in the Swiss canton of Vaud found rate of Covid-19 was 83 times higher among the unvaccinated than those who had received two shots of vaccine, reported RTS. During the last two weeks of July 2021, the rate of infection among the vaccinated population was 2.6 per 100,000 compared to 216 per 100,000 among the unvaccinated population, 83 times greater. Vaccinated people were defined as those who had received...
Read More »Zurich airport: 5 percent to 10 percent of passengers not boarding due to Covid document issues
© Swisshippo | Dreamstime.com During July 2021, around 5% to 10% of long-haul passengers, many in transit, were unable to depart from Zurich airport because their Covid-19 documents did not comply with destination country regulations, reported the newspaper Le Temps. In June 2021, around 700 passengers, most of which were in transit, found themselves stuck at Zurich airport. According to a spokesperson at Swissport, a company providing ground services for the...
Read More »Some charging for rapid Covid tests that are supposed to be free
According to a report by the newspaper Le Matin, some testing centres in Switzerland are charging for rapid antigen tests despite the federal government announcing it would cover the cost of these tests. © Seventyfourimages | Dreamstime.com With many holiday destinations still requiring negative Covid-19 tests as a condition of entry, those heading across borders for the summer holidays will need to get tested before heading to the airport or getting on the road or...
Read More »Covid: 67% of Geneva now has Antibodies
Vaccination has pushed the percentage of residents in Geneva with antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus up to 67%, according to a recent study by Geneva’s HUG hospital. © Kukotaekaterina | Dreamstime.com To some extent, Geneva has been at the forefront of Switzerland’s experience with Covid-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the canton has recorded Switzerland’s highest rate of infection, 54% above the Swiss average. Geneva has also been a leader on...
Read More »Covid: 483 New Cases in 24 hours in Switzerland
On 13 July 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reported 483 new cases of Covid-19, up from a daily average of 274 over the preceding three days. © Sweet Hour Photography | Dreamstime.com The rise in cases follows a rising trend in the incidence of the more infectious Delta variant, which now makes up the majority of DNA sequenced samples in Switzerland. The latest reproduction rate, or R number, in Switzerland overall is 1.47, which means that...
Read More »EU Now Accepts Swiss Covid Certificates
The European Commission has given the Swiss Covid certificate a green light for inclusion on the EU-wide digital Covid certificate platform. This means that holders of Swiss Covid certificates are able to present their Swiss-issued Covid certificate QR codes at ports of entry into EU nations under the same conditions as holders of certificates from EU nations. © maramade | Dreamstime.com The Swiss Covid certificates are valid in 27 EU countries plus Iceland and...
Read More »EU recognition of Swiss Covid certificate imminent
According to RTS, Brussels is close to giving the Swiss Covid certificate a green light for inclusion on the EU-wide digital Covid certificate platform. This means that Swiss residents will soon be able to present their Swiss-issued Covid certificate QR codes at ports of entry into EU nations. © Valerio Rosati | Dreamstime.com Swiss digital Covid certificates are expected to work in the EU by Friday 9 July 2021 or next Monday. According to RTS, a commission, composed...
Read More »Covid: Swiss Health Minister Concerned by Rest Home Staff Vaccine Refusal
In Switzerland, 20% of people over 80 have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 at a time when the fast spreading Delta variant is gaining ground, said Alain Berset, Switzerland’s health minister, in an interview with the NZZ reported RTS. © Arne9001 | Dreamstime.com Berset said he’s concerned that too many people do not want to get vaccinated. But in rest homes we have a worse problem, he said. A considerable portion of staff working in rest homes or offering home...
Read More »Nearly 40% have Long Covid after 7 months, finds Swiss study
The longer term effects of Covid-19 can take many forms and there are numerous definitions of the disease. A study undertaken by HUG and UNIGE in Geneva, published on 6 July 2021, found that 39% of a group of Covid-19 patients still had symptoms after 7 months. © Wavebreakmedia Ltd | Dreamstime.com Of the 629 participants in the study who completed the interviews, 410 completed the follow-up at 7 to 9 months after a COVID-19 diagnosis in early 2020. Of this group,...
Read More »Covid: Swiss Government sets out Autumn Scenarios and Measures
On 30 June 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council discussed ways of preparing Switzerland for the autumn and winter months and a possible renewed rise in the number of coronavirus cases. © Silviu Matei | Dreamstime.com From the meeting ministers produced a report setting out various scenarios and response plans. The key elements are rapid identification of new variants of concern, continued progress with vaccination and a focus on ensuring sufficient capacity for...
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