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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 Thursday

Switzerland moves to criminalise stalking; Swiss village to charge fees for visiting; and other news in our roundup on Thursday.

Published: 16 May 2024 08:10 CEST
Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday

The Federal Council moves to include stalking in the penal code

‘Stalking’, which the Swiss government defines as ‘obsessive harassment’, must appear in the penal code and not just constitute a civil offence, the Federal Council said in a press release on Wednesday.

It supports a bill drafted by the National Council’s legal affairs committee, which pertains not only to criminalising stalking, but also threats and harassment in general — whether via physical contact, online, or phone.

The Federal Council added, however that “it will remain difficult to determine at what stage a person finds himself hindered [by stalkers],” especially since  some of these acts “may not constitute reprehensible behaviour.” 

SBB will change public announcements concerning suicides on train tracks

About 112 people throw themselves under moving trains each year in Switzerland.

When that happens, and the train stops midway, the public system announcement over loud speakers in the train and at all stations impacted by the delay, cites “personal accident” as a reason for the disruption

Everyone knows, however, that this is a code word for suicide, and such announcements upset commuters.

For this reason, Swiss national rail company, SBB, said on Wednesday that from July 1st, “personal accident” will be replaced by a more neutral “event linked to an external cause” — which will cover all disruptions, and not just suicides.

Popular Swiss resort wants to collect entry fees

The village of Lauterbrunnen (see pic above) in the Bernese Oberland has become a tourist mecca since it became known that it had inspired writer J.R.R. Tolkien’s book “Lord of the Rings.”

On one hand, the tourism boom is good for the region’s economy, but on the other, visitors leave behind trash, clog the streets, and generally stress the local population.

To counteract this negative aspect of mass tourism, local officials want to impose an ‘entry fee’ of between 5 and 10 francs, directed mostly by those arriving by car and creating traffic jams.

Hotel guests and public transport users will be exempt from the fee, however.

Lausanne has activated its…heatwave plan

It is currently raining and coolish, but the Vaud capital is ahead of the meteorological curve: on Wednesday, it has re-activated its heatwave plan, to be in effect until September 15th, regardless of weather.

It is primarily intended for the elderly people to prevent health consequences of overheating, the city announced in a press release. 

The toll-free number to call in case of heat-related medical conditions is 0800 808 808, to be used exclusively by Lausanne residents aged 70 or over.
 
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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