Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Coronavirus is still spreading in Switzerland; government to end special visas for Turks and Syrians; and other news in our roundup on Monday.
Coronavirus is still circulating in Switzerland
Though it hasn’t been in the news lately, Covid is still present in Switzerland, as indicated by the ‘viral load’ in wastewater, according to the Federal Office of Public Health.
This means that many people are currently infected with Omicron variant — still the dominant variant — but so far, this wave has not impacted hospitals.
At the University Hospital of Zurich, for instance, 20 patients are currently suffering from a Covid infection, said chief physician Huldrych Günthard.
It is not excluded, however, that people keep getting contaminated.
The reason is “because the immunity of the population is not yet as good as we expected, and the activity of the virus is still too high," Günthard said, pointing out that the fact Switzerland no longer has a vaccination campaign, also “plays a role.”
Most Swiss consumers favour Migros over Coop and other chains
A recent survey conducted by Tamedia, Switzerland’s largest media group, reveals that most respondents (41 percent), prefer to shop at Migros, while only 28 percent favour its main competitor, Coop.
The two have the biggest chunk of Switzerland’s market, with budget supermarkets Lidl and Aldi getting only 9 and 7 percent of votes, respectively.
Interestingly, though, the survey shows that Migros’ lead over Coop narrows considerably with the level of education of consumers.
People who have only completed compulsory education largely favour Migros over Coop (37 against 21 percent).
On the other hand, the two groups are almost equal among graduates of universities and other higher education institutions, with only a 2-percent lead for Migros.
READ ALSO: Migros versus Coop: Which Swiss supermarket has cheaper groceries?
Switzerland may end special visas for Turkish and Syrian earthquake victims
After the violent earthquakes that shook the two countries in February, Bern introduced a rapid procedure (“fast track”) visa applications for victims with close relatives in Switzerland who are either Swiss citizens or have B or C permits.
So far, about 300 mostly elderly people from the affected regions have benefited from this accelerated procedure: 239 Turks and 59 Syrians, latest figures from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) indicate.
However, according to a report in Neue Zurcher Zeitung on Sunday, the Swiss government wants to stop this programme in May.
Several MPs have expressed their opposition to the plan on the grounds that the situation in the two countries remains very precarious and many people are still homeless.
Switzerland has most breweries per capita in the world
Good news for beer aficionados: there is no shortage of breweries in Switzerland.
In fact, according to the Swiss Association of Breweries, the country has the highest number of beer producers in the world in relation to its population.
Switzerland has 146 breweries per million inhabitants, which means it is far ahead of such beer-intense nations as the Czech Republic, which has 57 breweries per capita, the Netherlands (52), Belgium, (35), and Germany (18).
The canton with the most breweries — 210 — is Bern.
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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Coronavirus is still circulating in Switzerland
Though it hasn’t been in the news lately, Covid is still present in Switzerland, as indicated by the ‘viral load’ in wastewater, according to the Federal Office of Public Health.
This means that many people are currently infected with Omicron variant — still the dominant variant — but so far, this wave has not impacted hospitals.
At the University Hospital of Zurich, for instance, 20 patients are currently suffering from a Covid infection, said chief physician Huldrych Günthard.
It is not excluded, however, that people keep getting contaminated.
The reason is “because the immunity of the population is not yet as good as we expected, and the activity of the virus is still too high," Günthard said, pointing out that the fact Switzerland no longer has a vaccination campaign, also “plays a role.”
Most Swiss consumers favour Migros over Coop and other chains
A recent survey conducted by Tamedia, Switzerland’s largest media group, reveals that most respondents (41 percent), prefer to shop at Migros, while only 28 percent favour its main competitor, Coop.
The two have the biggest chunk of Switzerland’s market, with budget supermarkets Lidl and Aldi getting only 9 and 7 percent of votes, respectively.
Interestingly, though, the survey shows that Migros’ lead over Coop narrows considerably with the level of education of consumers.
People who have only completed compulsory education largely favour Migros over Coop (37 against 21 percent).
On the other hand, the two groups are almost equal among graduates of universities and other higher education institutions, with only a 2-percent lead for Migros.
READ ALSO: Migros versus Coop: Which Swiss supermarket has cheaper groceries?
Switzerland may end special visas for Turkish and Syrian earthquake victims
After the violent earthquakes that shook the two countries in February, Bern introduced a rapid procedure (“fast track”) visa applications for victims with close relatives in Switzerland who are either Swiss citizens or have B or C permits.
So far, about 300 mostly elderly people from the affected regions have benefited from this accelerated procedure: 239 Turks and 59 Syrians, latest figures from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) indicate.
However, according to a report in Neue Zurcher Zeitung on Sunday, the Swiss government wants to stop this programme in May.
Several MPs have expressed their opposition to the plan on the grounds that the situation in the two countries remains very precarious and many people are still homeless.
Switzerland has most breweries per capita in the world
Good news for beer aficionados: there is no shortage of breweries in Switzerland.
In fact, according to the Swiss Association of Breweries, the country has the highest number of beer producers in the world in relation to its population.
Switzerland has 146 breweries per million inhabitants, which means it is far ahead of such beer-intense nations as the Czech Republic, which has 57 breweries per capita, the Netherlands (52), Belgium, (35), and Germany (18).
The canton with the most breweries — 210 — is Bern.
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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