Switzerland Today
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Here are the latest news and stories from Switzerland on Wednesday.
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In the news: a probe into a Swiss organ donor foundation, public transport costs and a new Roman amphitheatre.
- The Swiss data protection officer has opened an investigation into the Swisstransplant foundation after allegations of major security flaws in its online donor register – namely, that it’s possible to enter anyone in the register without their knowledge or consent. The foundation claims it is “absolutely safe”.
- A group of over 100 members of the global super-rich have called on governments to rewrite tax laws so they can pay their fair share of taxes. They made the call on the occasion of the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos Agenda 2022 conference.
- Public transport has a reputation of being expensive in Switzerland. But a new studyExternal link, which compares the cost of networks in Germany, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Britain, shows Switzerland is actually around the European average.
- Another Roman amphitheatre – 50 metres long and 40 metres wide – has been uncovered at the Augusta Raurica archaeological site at Kaiseraugst in canton Aargau. It is the third amphitheatre to be discovered at the site and the most recent to date, built around 4AD.
Covid-19: Swiss government extends quarantine, work-from-home rules into February.
Owing to the difficult situation in hospitals, Switzerland will extend until the end of February coronavirus quarantine and home-office rules. It tentatively plans to keep until the end of March other curbs on public life that were tightened last month, the government announcedExternal link.
Those measures include use of the Covid certificate – the need for people to prove they have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 to gain entry to many indoor venues. Meanwhile, from January 22 people who have been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 will no longer need to present a negative test result to enter the country.
Switzerland this month halved its quarantine time to five days to help the economy cope with a fifth wave of infections. The number of new daily coronavirus infections has reached unprecedented highs: 38,015 new cases were reported on January 19 for the previous 24-hour period. Hospital admissions are stable. A total of 247 Covid-19 patients are in intensive care.
Health Minister Alain Berset (photo above) said the situation would likely remain tense for weeks even though falling numbers of patients in intensive care units were a positive sign. The government will review the situation again on February 2.
International sports organisations generate big bucks for Switzerland.
Switzerland is home to 53 international sports federations, of which 40 are based in canton Vaud. Their economic impact increased significantly between 2014-2019, a new study shows.
The International Academy of Sport Science and Technology in LausanneExternal link found that Swiss-based sports organisations had a combined economic impact worth CHF1.68 billion per year. This represents a 57% increase compared with the previous period analysed (2008-2013).
The organisations provided over 3,300 jobs in 2019, including 1,840 in canton Vaud, which is home to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) (photo above), the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), among others.
“This represents CHF870 million in annual expenses for hotel rooms, restaurants, taxis or even law firms,” declared the Vaud minister in charge of the economy, innovation and sport, Philippe Leuba.
He added that Switzerland’s appeal is based on the proximity of the IOC, a strong legal framework and a unique support ecosystem for federations.
Canton Neuchâtel wants to confront the past history of certain local families involved in the slave trade.
A new permanent exhibition, entitled “MovementsExternal link”, has opened at the city’s art and history museum presenting elements of its colonial historyExternal link. Previously, only a small showcase in the museum covered the issue.
Swiss links to the slave trade have been under the spotlight in recent years. In 2020, over 2,500 people signed an online petitionExternal link calling for the removal of the bronze statue of David de Pury (photo above) from the centre of Neuchâtel in northwest Switzerland.
The “Collectif pour la mémoire”, which launched the petition, said the wealthy entrepreneur and benefactor who died in 1786 made his fortune through investments and trading in precious wood and diamonds in Brazil. But it says his money was amassed via the exploitation of African slaves.
De Pury, who was born in Neuchatel and died in Lisbon, Portugal, is well-knownin the Swiss city. He donated the equivalent of CHF600 million ($636 million), which was used for local charity initiatives and the construction of the town hall, a hospital and a school. His name features on a local square.
De Pury’s statue remains in place but now features an explanatory plaque. In 2021, the authorities presented a number of other measures aimed at explaining the city’s colonial history.
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