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Today in Switzerland For Members

Today in Switzerland: A round-up of the latest news on Wednesday

Helena Bachmann
Helena Bachmann - [email protected]
Today in Switzerland: A round-up of the latest news on Wednesday
An employee of a bookshop checks that the current 2G (vaccinated or recovered) Corona rules are being observed at the entrance in Leipzig, eastern Germany on November 22, 2021. - Some of the German federal states on November 19, 2021 cancelled their Christmas markets and unveiled drastic curbs on public life as the country scrambles to contain soaring coronavirus infections. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP)

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

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Swiss media: ‘Cantons prefer the 2G option’

The cantons had until last night to decide which of the two choices the federal government suggested — the 2G rule or partial closures — should be implemented in Switzerland.

Their choice has not been officially announced yet but Blick newspaper had learned of the "support for the extension of the 2G rule, particularly in the French-speaking cantons”.

On the other hand, the sub-version of this rule, known as  the 2G Plus, under which vaccinated people would also have to be tested to access certain public events, is disputed because  “it would send the wrong signal to the vaccinated people, implying that they made a mistake” by getting their shots, Blick reported. 

The federal government will announce its decision on Friday.

READ MORE: 2G or closures: Switzerland presents new Covid measures plan

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Has the proportion of Omicron cases in Switzerland fallen?

Last week, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) estimated Omicron infections at 3.6 percent of all cases detected in Switzerland. The latest figures, however, attribute only 2.5 percent of contaminations to the new variant.  

FOPH explains the divergent data by the way variant sequencing (for both Omicron and Delta) is carried out, and how it can lead to “short-term fluctuations and an overestimation of the proportion of the Omicron cases”, according to FOPH spokesperson Simone Buchmann.

"Sequencing results are usually only available one to two weeks after a positive PCR test," she added.

So what is the real percentage of Omicron cases in Switzerland? The picture may be clearer in two weeks’ time.

Swiss companies favour vaccinated employees

Vaccinated people have a strong advantage in Switzerland’s labour market, according to a study carried out by Manpower Group.

It shows that nearly half of Swiss employers consider vaccination against Covid as a prerequisite for hiring.

Just under a quarter of employers – 21 percent - require proof of full vaccination for some employees, while 15 percent want both a vaccination and a Covid certificate.

Under the law, employers can’t obligate an employee get inoculated, although an increasing number of companies do so, especially as they are mandated to provide a safe environment for their workforce.

READ MORE: Can your boss require you to have a Covid certificate in Switzerland?

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SWISS expands its network for summer 2022
 
The national airline must be optimistic about the evolution of epidemiological situation because it is adding six new destinations to its European route network from this summer —a total of 119 destinations from Zurich and Geneva in its 2022 summer schedule.
 
From Zurich, SWISS will fly to Bologna, Nantes, Sofia, Odessa and Vilnius, while Geneva will see the addition of a new Brussels service.

The airline’ intercontinental network will put a particular emphasis on North American destinations. Its popular direct flight from Geneva to New York was resumed this week after being suspended in March 2020.

All in all, SWISS expects to restore its services to around 80 percent of their 2019 capacities between June and September of 2022.

READ MORE: Should flights between Zurich and Geneva be discontinued?

If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]

 

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Anonymous 2021/12/15 14:37
Unfortunately, PMs choose replacing (vaccines instead of testing), which has being shown (macroscopically) little effect to reduce the spreading of the virus (if not the opposite).

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