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Today in Switzerland For Members

Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

Helena Bachmann
Helena Bachmann - [email protected]
Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Commuters board a Lyria SNCF (France's national state-owned railway company) train at the Gare de Lyon railway station on Febuary 15, 2018 in Paris. - A report submitted on February 15, 2018 to the Prime Minister advocates deep reforms of the SNCF, especially its transformation into a public limited company, recommendations seen as an "attack" by unions. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

Find out what's going on today in Switzerland with The Local's short roundup of the news.

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Number of daily Covid cases no longer decreasing

The rate of new infections in Switzerland dropped significantly at the beginning of October, with the number of cases reported daily falling under the 1,000-mark.

This week, however, the numbers climbed again, exceeding 1,300 cases each day.

As this chart from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) indicates, the number of cases (dark blue lines) rose most in Appenzell Innerrhoden and Obwalden.

In all, 14 Swiss cantons saw the increase in infections.

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Cheap train tickets on the Geneva — Paris line

To mark the 40-year anniversary of its operations between Switzerland and France, TGV Lyria is now offering a two-way ticket from Geneva to Paris for a symbolic price of 40 francs.

This special offer pertains only to trips taken from Monday, November 8th, 2021 to Friday,  April 22nd, 2022.

You can see special conditions and buy tickets here.

Healthcare workers want priority for booster vaccines

As nurses and other frontline workers were among the first to be inoculated in Switzerland at the beginning of 2021, they now want to be the first to receive the third dose.

“Because health workers were vaccinated early in the year, they are among those whose immunity to coronavirus decreases first", according to Roswitha Koch, head of the Swiss Association of Nurses.

And as they are in regular contact with Covid patients and therefore at increased risk of infection, the association expects medical workers to have prority access to boosters, as soon as these shots become available.

At the University Hospital Zurich, nurses and doctors are already at the front of the queue. "As with the initial vaccinations, we will do everything in our power to offer booster vaccinations for employees as soon as they are approved," said hospital spokesperson  Claudio Jörg.

Drug regulatory agency Swissmedic is in the process of examining scientific evidence concerning boosters and the government has indicated these shots may be ready to be administered as soon as the end of October.

READ MORE: Switzerland could approve Covid boosters ‘by end October’

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Climate strike will disrupt traffic in Geneva

Starting today at 4pm, demonstrators will march in several areas of the city, causing congestion or closures of streets to traffic altogether.

Most affected neighbourhoods are the Cornavin station sector, the Pâquis district — including access to the Mont-Blanc bridge — as well as rue de Lausanne, the avenue de France, and the Place des Nations.

Public transportation in those areas will also be disrupted.

Three Swiss sectors are impacted by breakup of EU talks

The effect of the failed negotiations between Bern and Brussels in May is having repercussions on three branches of Switzerland's economy, according to president Guy Parmelin.

They are medical technologies, research, and electricity — all the sectors which are dependent to some extent on Switzerland's cooperation with the European Union.

"This situation is problematic", Parmelin said, adding that Switzerland is hoping "to sort out these issues with the EU, sector by sector".

 

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why did Switzerland call off EU talks and what are the consequences?

 

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