Today in Switzerland: A round-up of the latest news on Monday
Find out what's going on today in Switzerland with The Local's short roundup of the news.
The Omicron wave has peaked at last, but hospitals still at risk
As the number of new cases has dropped from more than 41,000 infections registered on February 2nd to just over 33,000 by the end of last week, the downward trend “is undeniable”, according to epidemiologist Andreas Cerny.
Rudolf Hauri from the Conference of Cantonal Health Directors also said this trend “is clear and observable everywhere”.
This chart from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) confirms that number of cases is falling.
However, the healthcare system is not out of the woods yet, Cerny warns. "If the virus spreads extremely quickly after all measures are suddenly lifted, this could still lead to overloading of hospitals".
For its part, FOPH also expects “a significant additional burden of the disease” to linger on, according to minutes of a meeting held on Friday.
READ MORE: Covid-19 infections: Has Switzerland reached the peak yet?
Many more Covid deaths among foreigners than Swiss
Significantly more foreign nationals died during the pandemic than their Swiss counterparts, based on data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
The results are "extremely clear": among Swiss citizens aged 65 to 74, the increase in deaths in 2020, when compared to 2019, was 2.2 percent, while it was 20.9 percent among people of the same age without a Swiss passport. In the other age groups as well, the increase was drastically higher.
This higher mortality is believed to be due to the social and economic disadvantages faced by many foreign nationals, such as tighter housing, jobs without the possibility of teleworking, and dependence on public transport — all of which increased their exposure to the virus.
Switzerland responds to European Union’s criticism
In her recent remarks regarding the possibility of Russian invasion of Ukraine, EU deputy Nathalie Loiseau said that Europe can’t ignore the impending crisis “like a big, soft Switzerland”.
By ‘soft’, Loiseau meant to imply that Switzerland is spineless in international conflicts.
Bern’s response to her comment was swift.
“For decades, we have worked for peace and security in Europe and the world”, Swiss Embassy in France has tweeted, adding that the country has always acted “with determination” alongside the EU.
Merci d’évoquer la #Suisse. Depuis des décennies, nous œuvrons pour la paix et la sécurité, en Europe et dans le monde. Avec discrétion et détermination, aux côtés de nos partenaires, comme la France et l’UE, et dans les enceintes multilatérales.
— Ambassade de Suisse en France (@AmbSuisseParis) February 5, 2022
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why is Switzerland not part of the European Union?
Switzerland weathered the Covid-19 crisis “surprisingly well”
Despite predictions to the contrary, the pandemic has never “challenged the country's economic order”, according to Jan-Egbert Sturm, an economist at Zurich’s Polytechnic Institute (ETH).
“We have weathered the crisis much better” than expected by many experts. “There have certainly been painful cuts, but not very big upheavals”, he said in an interview with SonntagsBlick.
Sturm attributes this sturdiness to the “structure of our economy”.
“Important industrial sectors, particularly the pharmaceutical industry, have resisted the pandemic well. Moreover, the measures taken by the Federal Council have never paralysed our entire economy”.
He acknowledged, however, the pandemic has impacted some sectors, particularly the hotel and restaurant industry.
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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The Omicron wave has peaked at last, but hospitals still at risk
As the number of new cases has dropped from more than 41,000 infections registered on February 2nd to just over 33,000 by the end of last week, the downward trend “is undeniable”, according to epidemiologist Andreas Cerny.
Rudolf Hauri from the Conference of Cantonal Health Directors also said this trend “is clear and observable everywhere”.
This chart from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) confirms that number of cases is falling.
However, the healthcare system is not out of the woods yet, Cerny warns. "If the virus spreads extremely quickly after all measures are suddenly lifted, this could still lead to overloading of hospitals".
For its part, FOPH also expects “a significant additional burden of the disease” to linger on, according to minutes of a meeting held on Friday.
READ MORE: Covid-19 infections: Has Switzerland reached the peak yet?
Many more Covid deaths among foreigners than Swiss
Significantly more foreign nationals died during the pandemic than their Swiss counterparts, based on data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
The results are "extremely clear": among Swiss citizens aged 65 to 74, the increase in deaths in 2020, when compared to 2019, was 2.2 percent, while it was 20.9 percent among people of the same age without a Swiss passport. In the other age groups as well, the increase was drastically higher.
This higher mortality is believed to be due to the social and economic disadvantages faced by many foreign nationals, such as tighter housing, jobs without the possibility of teleworking, and dependence on public transport — all of which increased their exposure to the virus.
Switzerland responds to European Union’s criticism
In her recent remarks regarding the possibility of Russian invasion of Ukraine, EU deputy Nathalie Loiseau said that Europe can’t ignore the impending crisis “like a big, soft Switzerland”.
By ‘soft’, Loiseau meant to imply that Switzerland is spineless in international conflicts.
Bern’s response to her comment was swift.
“For decades, we have worked for peace and security in Europe and the world”, Swiss Embassy in France has tweeted, adding that the country has always acted “with determination” alongside the EU.
Merci d’évoquer la #Suisse. Depuis des décennies, nous œuvrons pour la paix et la sécurité, en Europe et dans le monde. Avec discrétion et détermination, aux côtés de nos partenaires, comme la France et l’UE, et dans les enceintes multilatérales.
— Ambassade de Suisse en France (@AmbSuisseParis) February 5, 2022
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why is Switzerland not part of the European Union?
Switzerland weathered the Covid-19 crisis “surprisingly well”
Despite predictions to the contrary, the pandemic has never “challenged the country's economic order”, according to Jan-Egbert Sturm, an economist at Zurich’s Polytechnic Institute (ETH).
“We have weathered the crisis much better” than expected by many experts. “There have certainly been painful cuts, but not very big upheavals”, he said in an interview with SonntagsBlick.
Sturm attributes this sturdiness to the “structure of our economy”.
“Important industrial sectors, particularly the pharmaceutical industry, have resisted the pandemic well. Moreover, the measures taken by the Federal Council have never paralysed our entire economy”.
He acknowledged, however, the pandemic has impacted some sectors, particularly the hotel and restaurant industry.
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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