Online vaccination platform closed due to security breach
The www.meineimpfungen.ch / www.mesvaccins.ch website, which allows people to create an electronic version of their paper vaccination record, was closed after a news site described massive flaws in the platform’s security.
The Federal Data Protection Officer has opened an enquiry into the charges.
Officials believe that data of about 450,000 registered users, including 240,000 who were vaccinated against Covid, may be compromised and potentially exploited by criminals.
This security breach “is likely to infringe on the rights of a large number of people, especially since it concerns sensitive health data”, officials said.
Price supervisor handled over 1,500 disputes last year
Stefan Meierhans, head of the government’s monitoring office responsible for studying and identifying abuses in the costs of goods and services, said he handled 1,588 price disputes in 2020.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for products like face masks, disinfectants and ethanol increased sharply last spring, causing prices to skyrocket.
This was especially the case in the health sector (18 percent of all complaints), public transportation (14 percent) and telecommunications (8.5 percent).
Conferenza stampa annuale del Sorvegliante dei prezzi 2021 https://t.co/1IQKy7zX3y via @YouTube
— Monsieur Prix / Preisüberwacher (@MisterPrezzi) March 23, 2021
READ MORE: ‘Fair prices’: Switzerland moves one step closer to referendum on cost of living
Children's Covid testing criteria same as adults’
Starting today, the test criteria for symptomatic children from 6 years of age will be the same as for adults.
This means that in the event of cough, sore throat, breathing difficulties, chest pain, fever, muscle pain and headaches, young kids will be systematically tested for coronavirus. Until now, only children 12 years and older have been tested using the same criteria as adults.
Health authorities said testing of children in that age group will help track the circulation of the virus in the population.
On the move again: the Swiss are more mobile
After the easing of some restrictions in early March, the Swiss are commuting more often.
Despite the unchanged obligation of teleworking, the trips between the home and the place of employment are also increasing, according to a government report on the mobility of Switzerland’s population.
This was the case, for example, in February, where many people went skiing during the winter holidays. The increased mobility this month can be attributed to the reopening of the shops on March 1st, the report found.
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