“We now collect bed numbers daily. In the intensive care units, the number of free beds is now collected twice a day,” Andreas Stettbacher, the government delegate for the Coordinated Medical Service, told a press conference in Bern on Tuesday.
“I don’t have good news. Unless we take action, ICU beds will be fully occupied in 15 days.”
The figures would be published twice a week, he said.
At the same press conference, the head of the federal Covid-19 taskforce repeatedly stressed the gravity of the situation. Many cantons had taken effective measures, but the public was not behaving appropriately. “Stay at home whenever possible,” Martin Ackermann urged.
People are not restricting their mobility as they did in mid-March, he said. The mobility level is currently much higher than at the peak of the first coronavirus wave.
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‘Superspreader wedding’ shocks Swiss authorities
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The bride and groom at a Swiss wedding reportedly knew that some guests had symptoms of Covid-19 but did not inform the authorities.
“We have no time to lose,” Ackermann said. “There are no alternatives to drastic measures. The hospitals are already at their limits. If the trend continues, it will no longer be possible to treat everyone who need medical help.”
The taskforce therefore assumes that the government will decide on further measures on Wednesday. A lockdown must also be an option, Ackermann said.
Coronavirus infections in Switzerland rose by 5,949 on Tuesday, according to data from health authorities.
Total confirmed cases in Switzerland and neighbouring Liechtenstein increased to 127,042 and the death toll rose by 16 to 1,930.
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Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
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An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
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Basel prepares 700 volunteers for the Eurovision Song Contest
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Around 320 people took part in one of the two official information events for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Basel on Friday.
More Swiss soldiers involved in accidents during training in Austria
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The Swiss army has reported various accidents involving Swiss soldiers during the exercise “TRIAS 25” in Austria. Some have led to hospitalisations.
Swiss court rules vegan meat substitutes can’t use animal names
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Vegan meat substitutes may not bear animal names such as “planted.chicken” according to a ruling by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.
Swiss cantons spared duty to create new traveller transit sites
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Swiss cantons will no longer be formally obliged by the government to create new transit sites for the travelling community.
Swiss politicians bemoan limited access to EU treaty details
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Protests that only a few Swiss parliamentarians will be able to read the contents of a new agreement negotiated with the EU.
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For the first time, most Swiss residents favour withdrawing their pension pot as a lump-sum over regular annuity payments.
Intensive care staff exhausted as Covid numbers rise
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Intensive care workers are going into the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic exhausted, the Swiss Society of Intensive Care Medicine has warned.
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