Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Find out what's going on today in Switzerland with The Local's short roundup of the news.
Patients no longer routinely tested when admitted to hospitals
During the pandemic, everyone admitted to a Swiss hospital had to be screened for Covid.
However, health experts no longer recommend that everyone to be hospitalised be tested upon admission; this procedure should only be administered to people at risk, according to Swissnoso, the national competence centre for infection prevention.
“With the number of people who are currently being infected, it is hardly possible to prevent coronavirus infections in the hospitals", said Swissnoso President Andreas Widmer.
He added that patients at risk will continue to be tested for infection, "which can be much more dangerous for immuno-compromised people”.
Switzerland moving toward individual taxation of married couples
In one of the biggest tax reforms in the country, Bern is moving toward correcting an unconstitutional unequal treatment of married couples
Currently, in the field of direct federal taxation, many spouses pay higher taxes than cohabitants in the same economic situation, because married couples are taxed as an economic community, while cohabitants are taxed separately. This phenomenon, known as the “criminalisation of marriage”, primarily affects couples in which both spouses work.
The Federal Council wants to switch to individual taxation, where income and wealth of each spouse will are taxed separately. The amount would be determined by a person's income, not the overall income of a married couple).
READ MORE: Does marriage make financial sense in Switzerland?
Very few Swiss travellers offset their carbon footprint
Only 4 percent of air travel in Switzerland is subject to climate compensation via a supplement on the ticket price, but passengers are not willing to offset their greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study from Bern.
When people in Switzerland purchase plane tickets online, they have an option of adding a few francs to compensate for emissions they generate while flying.
However, study results show "that it is quite insufficient to rely on voluntary measures to try to achieve climate protection objectives", said Sebastian Berger, co-author of this study carried out at the Institute of Sociology of the University of Bern
These results, deemed "not really surprising", show that "investments in climate protection are only put into action if we can be sure that everyone participates", Berger pointed out.
And speaking of the environment: "Oxo" plastics will be banned in Switzerland from April 1st
These non-compostable plastics, which disintegrate too fast to be recyclable and are therefore hazardous for the environment, will be outlawed in Switzerland from April 1st.
By adapting this ordinance, the Swiss government is aligning itself with a similar regulation already in force in the European Union.
READ MORE: Trash talk: What are the rules for garbage disposal in Switzerland?
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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Patients no longer routinely tested when admitted to hospitals
During the pandemic, everyone admitted to a Swiss hospital had to be screened for Covid.
However, health experts no longer recommend that everyone to be hospitalised be tested upon admission; this procedure should only be administered to people at risk, according to Swissnoso, the national competence centre for infection prevention.
“With the number of people who are currently being infected, it is hardly possible to prevent coronavirus infections in the hospitals", said Swissnoso President Andreas Widmer.
He added that patients at risk will continue to be tested for infection, "which can be much more dangerous for immuno-compromised people”.
Switzerland moving toward individual taxation of married couples
In one of the biggest tax reforms in the country, Bern is moving toward correcting an unconstitutional unequal treatment of married couples
Currently, in the field of direct federal taxation, many spouses pay higher taxes than cohabitants in the same economic situation, because married couples are taxed as an economic community, while cohabitants are taxed separately. This phenomenon, known as the “criminalisation of marriage”, primarily affects couples in which both spouses work.
The Federal Council wants to switch to individual taxation, where income and wealth of each spouse will are taxed separately. The amount would be determined by a person's income, not the overall income of a married couple).
READ MORE: Does marriage make financial sense in Switzerland?
Very few Swiss travellers offset their carbon footprint
Only 4 percent of air travel in Switzerland is subject to climate compensation via a supplement on the ticket price, but passengers are not willing to offset their greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study from Bern.
When people in Switzerland purchase plane tickets online, they have an option of adding a few francs to compensate for emissions they generate while flying.
However, study results show "that it is quite insufficient to rely on voluntary measures to try to achieve climate protection objectives", said Sebastian Berger, co-author of this study carried out at the Institute of Sociology of the University of Bern
These results, deemed "not really surprising", show that "investments in climate protection are only put into action if we can be sure that everyone participates", Berger pointed out.
And speaking of the environment: "Oxo" plastics will be banned in Switzerland from April 1st
These non-compostable plastics, which disintegrate too fast to be recyclable and are therefore hazardous for the environment, will be outlawed in Switzerland from April 1st.
By adapting this ordinance, the Swiss government is aligning itself with a similar regulation already in force in the European Union.
READ MORE: Trash talk: What are the rules for garbage disposal in Switzerland?
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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