Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Covid cases are increasing substantially, prices are not falling despite lower inflation, and other Swiss news in our roundup on Wednesday.
Covid cases are rising significantly
The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) announced on Tuesday that 25,134 new cases of coronavirus were detected in Switzerland in the past seven days — 49.4 percent more that at the same time last week.
This is in line with predictions that another Covid wave will hit Switzerland during the fall and winter.
To curb the number of new infections, Switzerland will roll out a new version of the Moderna vaccine on October 10th, which should better target Omicron and its subvariants.
READ MORE: OUTLOOK: Could Switzerland introduce Covid rules this autumn?
Inflation in Switzerland is down, but impact on prices not yet seen
Swiss inflation fell slightly in September, from 3.4 to 3.3 percent, but except for the price of gasoline, other costs have not gone down.
"Inflation fell, but the consumer price index did not decline", according to Sergio Rossi, economist and professor at the University of Fribourg.
“In other words, prices continue to rise, just not as much as previously".
And Swiss consumers should not see any relief on the price front any time soon. "The upward trend will will continue, at least until the end of the year, or even until the summer of 2023", he said.
READ MORE: Pasta up by 13 percent: How food and energy prices in Switzerland are rising
The best airport in Europe is Swiss
For the 19th consecutive year, Zurich Airport has received the World Travel Award for Best European Airport.
The ranking is based on customer satisfaction, as well as the quality standards of the products and services offered at and around the airport.
To maintain its standing, the airport is planning new infrastructure, including a new baggage sorting facility and the renovation of part of the airport's shopping area.
Switzerland's other international airports, Geneva and Basel, were not part of the ranking.
Research: To save energy, we must live in smaller dwellings
To reduce the use of (and need for) energy, we have to "seriously change our habits" and learn to live in smaller spaces, researchers from the Federal Polytechnic Institute of Lausanne (EPFL) say.
This would cut energy costs both in terms of electricity and heating.
However, this could be difficult to achieve as homeowners and tenants in Switzerland want larger dwellings, which inevitably leads to higher energy consumption.
Therefore, "promoting the environmental awareness among those people is essential but difficult to implement", the study found.
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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Covid cases are rising significantly
The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) announced on Tuesday that 25,134 new cases of coronavirus were detected in Switzerland in the past seven days — 49.4 percent more that at the same time last week.
This is in line with predictions that another Covid wave will hit Switzerland during the fall and winter.
To curb the number of new infections, Switzerland will roll out a new version of the Moderna vaccine on October 10th, which should better target Omicron and its subvariants.
READ MORE: OUTLOOK: Could Switzerland introduce Covid rules this autumn?
Inflation in Switzerland is down, but impact on prices not yet seen
Swiss inflation fell slightly in September, from 3.4 to 3.3 percent, but except for the price of gasoline, other costs have not gone down.
"Inflation fell, but the consumer price index did not decline", according to Sergio Rossi, economist and professor at the University of Fribourg.
“In other words, prices continue to rise, just not as much as previously".
And Swiss consumers should not see any relief on the price front any time soon. "The upward trend will will continue, at least until the end of the year, or even until the summer of 2023", he said.
READ MORE: Pasta up by 13 percent: How food and energy prices in Switzerland are rising
The best airport in Europe is Swiss
For the 19th consecutive year, Zurich Airport has received the World Travel Award for Best European Airport.
The ranking is based on customer satisfaction, as well as the quality standards of the products and services offered at and around the airport.
To maintain its standing, the airport is planning new infrastructure, including a new baggage sorting facility and the renovation of part of the airport's shopping area.
Switzerland's other international airports, Geneva and Basel, were not part of the ranking.
Research: To save energy, we must live in smaller dwellings
To reduce the use of (and need for) energy, we have to "seriously change our habits" and learn to live in smaller spaces, researchers from the Federal Polytechnic Institute of Lausanne (EPFL) say.
This would cut energy costs both in terms of electricity and heating.
However, this could be difficult to achieve as homeowners and tenants in Switzerland want larger dwellings, which inevitably leads to higher energy consumption.
Therefore, "promoting the environmental awareness among those people is essential but difficult to implement", the study found.
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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