Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Higher rents are expected across Switzerland; some ski resorts are forced to shut down; and other news in our roundup this Tuesday.
Higher rents to hit all regions of Switzerland
Due to inflation and more expensive heating, tenants will have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay their rent in 2023.
Although some areas, like the Geneva and Zurich regions, where housing is traditionally more expensive than elsewhere, will experience highest increases, hikes “will affect the whole of Switzerland,” according to Ursina Kubli, chief real estate expert at the Zurich Cantonal Bank.
Rents are expected to increase by 4 to 4.5 percent on average.
READ MORE: Switzerland set to experience housing shortage and (even) higher rents in 2023
Some Swiss ski areas close due to lack of snow
The Christmas / New Year holiday is usually a busy time for mountain resorts, but the current unseasonably warm weather forced many lower-attitude ski areas to shut down.
Among them are Graubünden resorts of Splügen-Tambo and Hochwang; Beckenried/Klewenalp-Emmetten/Stockhütte area in Nidwalden; Marbach-Marbachegg in Lucerne; Moléson in Fribourg, and Saddle-Hochstuckli in Schwytz.
Warm weather has also kept some ski areas from opening at all so far this season, including Mörlialp-Giswil in Obwald; Les Rasses-Sainte-Croix Vaud; Rigi in Lucerne, as well as St. Gallen slopes in Wolzenalp-Krummenau, Atzmännig-Goldingen,Tanzboden-Ebnat-Kappel, and Oberholz-Farner.
And to make matters even worse for skiers…
The mild weather will continue for the next two weeks
"This anomaly should still last the next two weeks,” according to André-Charles Letestu, a meteorologist at MeteoSchweiz weather service.
From today, forecasts call for “less extreme” temperatures than in recent days — between 8C and 10C, which is still higher than maximum temperatures for January: 4C to 5C, Letestu said.
This means “the snow limit should remain between 1,400 and 1,800 metres, with lower-altitude resorts mentioned above showing mostly grass and rock surface.
READ MORE: Switzerland breaks January heat record for north side of Alps
Study: Fewer elective procedures ensure better care in hospitals
Researchers from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences have examined the crisis resilience of the Swiss healthcare system.
This study is particularly important in view of the overcrowding of many of Switzerland’s hospitals, where there is insufficient space to accommodate patients and not enough staff to care for them, for the first time since the Covid pandemic.
In order to “unburden” the system, researchers recommend doing fewer elective surgeries and interventions to make room, and ensure that staff is available, for emergencies.
One of the authors, health economist Matthias Maurer, pointed out that as a rich country, Switzerland has a relatively high rate of elective surgeries.
"If the number of these operations were reduced, the scarce staff could be used to better care for emergencies," he said.
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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Higher rents to hit all regions of Switzerland
Due to inflation and more expensive heating, tenants will have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay their rent in 2023.
Although some areas, like the Geneva and Zurich regions, where housing is traditionally more expensive than elsewhere, will experience highest increases, hikes “will affect the whole of Switzerland,” according to Ursina Kubli, chief real estate expert at the Zurich Cantonal Bank.
Rents are expected to increase by 4 to 4.5 percent on average.
READ MORE: Switzerland set to experience housing shortage and (even) higher rents in 2023
Some Swiss ski areas close due to lack of snow
The Christmas / New Year holiday is usually a busy time for mountain resorts, but the current unseasonably warm weather forced many lower-attitude ski areas to shut down.
Among them are Graubünden resorts of Splügen-Tambo and Hochwang; Beckenried/Klewenalp-Emmetten/Stockhütte area in Nidwalden; Marbach-Marbachegg in Lucerne; Moléson in Fribourg, and Saddle-Hochstuckli in Schwytz.
Warm weather has also kept some ski areas from opening at all so far this season, including Mörlialp-Giswil in Obwald; Les Rasses-Sainte-Croix Vaud; Rigi in Lucerne, as well as St. Gallen slopes in Wolzenalp-Krummenau, Atzmännig-Goldingen,Tanzboden-Ebnat-Kappel, and Oberholz-Farner.
And to make matters even worse for skiers…
The mild weather will continue for the next two weeks
"This anomaly should still last the next two weeks,” according to André-Charles Letestu, a meteorologist at MeteoSchweiz weather service.
From today, forecasts call for “less extreme” temperatures than in recent days — between 8C and 10C, which is still higher than maximum temperatures for January: 4C to 5C, Letestu said.
This means “the snow limit should remain between 1,400 and 1,800 metres, with lower-altitude resorts mentioned above showing mostly grass and rock surface.
READ MORE: Switzerland breaks January heat record for north side of Alps
Study: Fewer elective procedures ensure better care in hospitals
Researchers from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences have examined the crisis resilience of the Swiss healthcare system.
This study is particularly important in view of the overcrowding of many of Switzerland’s hospitals, where there is insufficient space to accommodate patients and not enough staff to care for them, for the first time since the Covid pandemic.
In order to “unburden” the system, researchers recommend doing fewer elective surgeries and interventions to make room, and ensure that staff is available, for emergencies.
One of the authors, health economist Matthias Maurer, pointed out that as a rich country, Switzerland has a relatively high rate of elective surgeries.
"If the number of these operations were reduced, the scarce staff could be used to better care for emergencies," he said.
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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