https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Even though the pandemic is long gone (though probably not quite forgotten), Covid-19 is still circulating in Switzerland. Health experts continue to recommend periodic immunisation against this disease. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251001/how-can-you-get-covid-vaccines-in-switzerland-in-autumn-2025 Wed, 01 Oct 2025 16:57:11 +0200 how-can-you-get-covid-vaccines-in-switzerland-in-autumn-2025 When the pandemic was winding down two years ago, health authorities warned that while the worst was over, Covid will keep re-emerging, in one form or another, in the future. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240719/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-covid-19-wave-in-switzerland Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:45:12 +0200 what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-covid-19-wave-in-switzerland Coronavirus infections are on the rise again, with Swiss health officials and epidemiologists expressing concern over the possible evolution of the disease. https://www.thelocal.ch/20231115/what-does-the-increase-in-the-number-of-covid-cases-in-switzerland-mean Wed, 15 Nov 2023 16:32:08 +0100 what-does-the-increase-in-the-number-of-covid-cases-in-switzerland-mean As new coronavirus variants have been detected in Switzerland in past weeks and the government is preparing to re-start vaccinations against the disease, you may be wondering whether Covid will become a major public health issue again. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230914/should-we-be-concerned-by-the-re-emergence-of-covid-19-in-switzerland Thu, 14 Sep 2023 17:47:30 +0200 should-we-be-concerned-by-the-re-emergence-of-covid-19-in-switzerland The World Health Organization's European office warned on Tuesday the risk of Covid-19 has not gone away, saying it was still responsible for nearly 1,000 deaths a week in the region. And the real figure may be much higher. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230627/covid-19-still-causing-1000-deaths-a-week-in-europe-who-warns Tue, 27 Jun 2023 15:27:54 +0200 covid-19-still-causing-1000-deaths-a-week-in-europe-who-warns From January 2023, people in Switzerland will generally have to pay for Covid-19 tests. Here's a look at the changes. https://www.thelocal.ch/20221221/what-to-know-about-changes-to-free-covid-testing-in-switzerland Wed, 21 Dec 2022 12:05:18 +0100 what-to-know-about-changes-to-free-covid-testing-in-switzerland After several months of a relatively low number of coronavirus cases in Switzerland, the rate of infections rose by over 22 percent in a span of seven days this week. What measures are Swiss health officials planning to prevent a new wave? https://www.thelocal.ch/20220930/outlook-could-switzerland-introduce-covid-rules-this-autumn Fri, 30 Sep 2022 17:37:33 +0200 outlook-could-switzerland-introduce-covid-rules-this-autumn Unlike some other countries who have put in place measures to help renters, Switzerland has asked tenants to try and negotiate with landlords themselves. Here’s how to ‘get to less’. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200519/coronavirus-in-switzerland-how-to-negotiate-a-rent-reduction Tue, 19 May 2020 16:09:10 +0200 coronavirus-in-switzerland-how-to-negotiate-a-rent-reduction Over the border in France, experts say a new wave of Covid in autumn is 'virtually certain', but in Switzerland authorities seem less worried. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220819/switzerland-how-likely-is-another-covid-19-wave-this-fall Fri, 19 Aug 2022 16:43:33 +0200 switzerland-how-likely-is-another-covid-19-wave-this-fall Though Covid has not been a nationwide problem in Switzerland during recent several months, the virus is circulating again and rates of contamination are expected to soar in the coming weeks. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220621/over-a-million-people-in-switzerland-could-be-infected-with-covid-this-summer Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:06:45 +0200 over-a-million-people-in-switzerland-could-be-infected-with-covid-this-summer Second boosters are only recommended for people in high-risk categories in Switzerland. When will this change? https://www.thelocal.ch/20220323/is-switzerland-gearing-up-for-a-fourth-covid-jab Wed, 23 Mar 2022 12:47:17 +0100 is-switzerland-gearing-up-for-a-fourth-covid-jab The mandatory EU-wide mask requirement for air travel is set to be dropped from Monday, May 16th, but airlines may still require passengers to wear masks on some or all flights https://www.thelocal.ch/20220511/face-mask-rule-on-flights-in-europe-set-to-be-eased Wed, 11 May 2022 18:17:55 +0200 face-mask-rule-on-flights-in-europe-set-to-be-eased The Montreux Jazz Festival is to return this summer promising a "dizzying panorama of sound" after two years muted by the pandemic, with Diana Ross, Bjork, Stormzy and Herbie Hancock in the line-up unveiled on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220413/dizzying-panorama-of-sound-swiss-montreux-jazz-festival-announces-lineup Wed, 13 Apr 2022 19:25:53 +0200 dizzying-panorama-of-sound-swiss-montreux-jazz-festival-announces-lineup Switzerland’s tax deadline is just around the corner. Are Covid-related costs tax deductible? https://www.thelocal.ch/20220331/masks-tests-and-jabs-can-i-deduct-covid-related-costs-from-my-taxes-in-switzerland Thu, 31 Mar 2022 16:16:47 +0200 masks-tests-and-jabs-can-i-deduct-covid-related-costs-from-my-taxes-in-switzerland School students in Switzerland have been using acidic drinks such as juice and cola to manipulate Covid tests. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220328/why-swiss-school-students-are-pouring-orange-juice-on-their-covid-tests Mon, 28 Mar 2022 17:14:00 +0200 why-swiss-school-students-are-pouring-orange-juice-on-their-covid-tests The two issues seem to have a relatively minimal ideological connection, but prominent members of the Swiss Covid sceptic scene are now throwing their weight behind Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220314/why-switzerlands-covid-sceptics-are-now-supporting-russias-invasion Mon, 14 Mar 2022 15:55:37 +0100 why-switzerlands-covid-sceptics-are-now-supporting-russias-invasion Several primary and secondary schools in the Swiss canton of Zurich have re-adopted distance learning due to significant increases in Covid numbers forcing teachers into isolation. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220317/covid-several-schools-in-zurich-return-to-distance-learning Thu, 17 Mar 2022 14:49:22 +0100 covid-several-schools-in-zurich-return-to-distance-learning Here’s a peak inside the government’s care package recommended for every Swiss household in the case of emergencies. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200227/coronavirus-the-emergency-pack-everyone-in-switzerland-should-have-according-to-the-government Thu, 27 Feb 2020 18:47:31 +0100 coronavirus-the-emergency-pack-everyone-in-switzerland-should-have-according-to-the-government Revellers in fancy costumes lit up the freezing streets of Basel in the early hours of Monday as Switzerland's biggest carnival returned for the first time since 2019. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220307/in-pictures-tens-of-thousands-of-swiss-celebrate-basel-carnivals-return Mon, 07 Mar 2022 14:05:22 +0100 in-pictures-tens-of-thousands-of-swiss-celebrate-basel-carnivals-return Two weeks after Switzerland lifted almost all restrictions, the number of infections is climbing back up again. Why is this happening and what does it mean? https://www.thelocal.ch/20220304/not-bad-news-why-swiss-experts-are-optimistic-about-rising-covid-cases Fri, 04 Mar 2022 17:52:08 +0100 not-bad-news-why-swiss-experts-are-optimistic-about-rising-covid-cases