Even if Omicron is less virulent than previous Covid-19 variants, its infectiousness will likely bring more hospital admissions and intensive care patients in coming weeks, Swiss health minister Alain Berset said on Friday.
Switzerland should prepare for this with good coordination between the hospitals, cantons and the federal government, he told journalists in Bern. He was speaking alongside Rebecca Ruiz, deputy head of the Conference of Cantonal Health Directors and health minister for the western canton of Vaud.
“Omicron has the potential to push the hospital system to its limits, especially if there is a lack of staff,” warned Ruiz. But she said the cantons were already preparing with extra beds.
Berset said Omicron was also pushing the country’s testing system to its limits, and that “priorities must now be set”. He suggested that priority should be given to hospitals, elderly care homes and symptomatic people, but that the issue needed further analysis.
The minister also urged citizens to avoid events and risky situations, and to isolate if they develop symptoms. He said the government was planning a new campaign to get people “boosted”. Currently in Switzerland, almost 68% of the population is double-jabbed and 32% have had a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Berset said that in view of the current situation, it was unlikely the current anti-coronavirus restrictions would be lifted for the moment.
Switzerland is currently undergoing a fifth wave of the pandemic, with the number of new daily coronavirus infections reaching unprecedented highs: 29,887 new cases were reported on January 13 for the previous 24-hour period. Hospital admissions are up slightly but officials fear an increase. Swiss health experts say they expect the number of Covid infections to peak within the next 1-3 weeks.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
US delays delivery of Patriot missiles to Switzerland
This content was published on
The US Department of Defense is reprioritising the delivery of the Patriot systems due to the support provided to Ukraine.
Swiss job vacancies fall in second quarter of 2025
This content was published on
After a slight recovery in the jobs market at the start of the year, the number of open positions fell by 3% year-on-year in the second quarter.
This content was published on
Researchers at the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne have managed to create a robot elephant using a 3D-printable lattice structure.
Common species vital for stability of food webs, study shows
This content was published on
The loss of common flora and fauna can make food webs unstable, with big consequences for entire ecosystems, a Swiss study has shown.
This content was published on
Overall spending on building fell slightly last year, with trends showing more money flowing into renovations than new buildings.
This content was published on
Foreign trade dipped from April to June in terms of exports and imports, with the trend largely driven by the chemicals and pharma sector.
Former Vatican auditor cleared of bribery in Zurich trial
This content was published on
The Zurich District Court acquitted a former financial markets supervisor at the Vatican of charges of corruption and bribery.
This content was published on
The President of the Swiss Conference of Bishops wants a national digital register of clergy – in the interest of transparency.
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.