Starting on Friday, the canton is offering free, voluntary testing in the run-up to a week of school holidays starting February 20. The campaign kicks off in the resort of Villars-sur-Ollon (which by 4PM had done almost 400 tests, four of which were positive), and will then come to Les Diablerets and Leysin. Tests are being offered to anyone over 12 years of age, including non-residents.
The aim is to “save the end of the ski season”, according to Vaud authorities, and to avoid coronavirus clusters as happened in Verbier in December. Verbier is in neighbouring canton Valais, which is expected to follow suit with testing.
Switzerland has kept its ski resorts open despite the pandemic and despite this causing tension with some neighbouring countries.
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Authorities rule out lockdown of Verbier
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Swiss authorities have rejected calls by doctors in Verbier to impose a strict confinement on the chic mountain resort.
Ski resorts have been targeted because “they are going to see a lot of mixing of people in the next few weeks”, Vaud government leader Nuria Gorrite told public broadcaster RTS on Thursday. “We want to avoid the virus being transported from one place to another. What the resorts need least is to become national clusters!”
Other regions and ski resorts have already introduced similar measures. These include the southeastern canton of Graubunden and the resort of Wengen in canton Bern, where the iconic Lauberhorn ski race had to be cancelled because of coronavirus fears.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
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The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
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The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
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Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
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Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
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Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
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Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
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Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
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Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
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Lauberhorn ski race cancelled owing to Covid-19 fears
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On Monday the International Ski Federation (FIS) said it had been advised by the health authorities in canton Bern to cancel the Lauberhorn races after all. “The cancellation of one of the most prestigious race weekends in the World Cup calendar makes the heart of every ski fan bleed,” said Bernhard Aregger, CEO of Swiss-Ski. “However,…
Swiss continue search for absconded British tourists
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Swiss cantons are still trying to identify tourists from the UK and South Africa who are staying in their resorts or who fled quarantine.
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