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TODAY IN SWITZERLAND

Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday

Zurich offers free Covid-19 tests, again; Swiss trains are more punctual in some regions than others; and other news in our roundup on Tuesday.

Published: 5 September 2023 08:46 CEST
Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
It is punctual, but not everywhere. Photo: Pixabay

Zurich re-introduces free Covid tests

Since January 2023, only medically ordered Covid-19 tests have been free of charge.

However, as new Omicron variants are circulating in Switzerland, Zurich is offering free tests to any city resident who has symptoms or has been in contact with infected people, municipal authorities announced on Monday. 

The tests are carried out at the Center for Travel Medicine at the Institute for Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention, A maximum of 50 tests, both antigen and PCR, are available each day.

Swiss trains are more punctual than before – except in two regions
 
Punctuality rate for trains is higher than ever, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) said on Monday.

However, on-time arrivals and departures are better in the German than French-speaking regions.

Nearly one in 10 trains are more than three minutes late in the the French-speaking parts —9.5 percent versus 5.9 percent nationally.

This difference comes from the reduced time margin between stops in French-speaking Switzerland, according to SBB spokesperson Frédéric Revaz.

“We have kept the same basic schedule structure for 20 years. Additional trains have been put into service and the time reserve is no longer sufficient,” he said. “Also, the number of travelers has continued to increase, which requires more time for connections.”

To solve this problem, the SBB plans to increase the number of trains as well as the length of the journeys, Revaz said.

READ ALSO: How cuts to train services in French-speaking Switzerland will hit travellers

Abra cadabra: This is why chemistry will not make you wealthier

An entrepreneur from Fribourg lost 27,000 francs because he was taken in by a fraudster who had promised to increase his money with a chemical liquid, the cantonal police announced on Monday. 

The alleged offender, a Cameroonian living in Geneva, is in custody. It is believed his accomplices are perpetrating the same fraud in other parts of Switzerland, as well as in France.

According to the police, the so-called “wash-wash” trick is a scam used primarily by perpetrators from African countries.

“Easy money with no risk of loss is an illusion. No one has the ability to chemically duplicate banknotes,” the police stated what should be obvious, but apparently isn’t.

Swiss Post issues Lord of the Rings stamps 

If you are a fan of  J.R.R. Tolkien and his Lord of the Rinds trilogy, you will be happy to know Swiss Post has issued four special postage stamps for the the 50th anniversary of the death of the British fantasy author.

Four designs featuring The Shire, Gandalf, Smaug and Argonath are available in post offices and online from this week, with stamps featuring more characters to be available from September 7th.

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 news@thelocal.ch
 
 
 
 

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TODAY IN SWITZERLAND

Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Monday

Voters in Geneva urged not to grant further political rights to foreigners; Zurich's population to grow by 400,000 more people; and other Swiss news in our roundup on Monday.

Published: 29 April 2024 08:24 CEST
Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Monday

Geneva’s MPs speak out against giving foreigners full political rights

Longtime residents of Switzerland’s most international city and canton already have the right to cast their vote on local issues in their municipalities.

On June 9th, however, Geneva’s voters will have their say on whether these rights should be extended to include running for elections and casting their ballots at the cantonal level as well.

However, in an interview with Tribune de Genève over the weekend, three cantonal MPs from centre parties said this move should be rejected. 

“No canton, no country, provides such generous rights to their foreigners,” the three said.
 
“For us, naturalisation is the preferred path for foreigners to obtain full political rights,” they added.

READ ALSO: Where in Switzerland can foreigners vote? 

Zurich sets plans for its population to reach the 2-million mark

At the end of 2023, over 1.6 million people lived in Zurich — Switzerland’s most populous canton.

But the population is continuing to grow — so much so, that it will reach the 2-million mark in the coming years, cantonal authorities said in a press release.

The primary reason for this hike, accounting for 49 percent of the increase, is immigration, followed by births (44 percent) and, to a lesser degree (7 percent), people moving to Zurich from other Swiss regions.

This means that public authorities will have to ensure that Zurich’s infrastructure, such as housing, public transport, as well as school and healthcare systems, could absorb this growth spurt.

Report: Housing shortage is ‘not going to improve any time soon’

Due to low construction activity, available accommodations will remain in short supply in Switzerland, according to a new report by Wüest Partner real estate consultants.

In fact, the situation “is not going to improve any time soon,” the report said.

Rents are therefore expected to increase further next year.

In terms of purchasing prices of properties, they are expected to rise as well — by 11.2 percent in Geneva, 8.7 percent in the Lake Geneva region (which includes Vaud), and 7.2 percent in Zurich.

More racial incidents reported in Switzerland

Reports of racism-related incidents have increased by almost a quarter in 2023, according to the annual report of Racism Advice Centers released on Sunday.

It found that among the 876 cases recorded — 168 more than the previous year — the majority occurred at school. This includes not only educational institutions themselves, but also groups created by students on social media.

Among reasons for the increase in cases of racism, the organisation cites the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, which has also incited more your people in Switzerland to adopt extremist views, and even to resort to violence.

READ ALSO: Are foreigners in Switzerland likely to experience some form of racism?

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 news@thelocal.ch

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