Nearly 11,000 people have died in connection with Covid-19 in Switzerland, which has a population of 8.6 million
Keystone
The Swiss hotel industry is confronting a wave of cancelled bookings after the discovery of another variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, the Sunday weekly SonntagsZeitung reported.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/ds
Many Belgian, British and Dutch guests have already cancelled their Christmas holidays in the Alpine nation, it said.
At least 27 countries – about half of them in Europe – have reported cases of this new coronavirus variant of concern, which was first identified in South Africa.
In the central Bernese Oberland region, for example, hotels are reporting up to 50% cancellations.
In Bern, the Swiss capital, company Christmas dinners and other events are also being cancelled in droves.
“The current situation is catastrophic for many hotels,” Claude Meier, director of the umbrella organisation Hotelleriesuisse, told the German-language newspaper.
He urged parliament to once again extend the hardship package which expires at the end of the year. Swiss legislators are due to debate the issue on Monday.
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.