Swiss health minister Alain Berset has said he wants weekly Covid-19 testing for 40% of the population as soon as possible, but cantons and businesses are dragging their feet, according to the Sonntagszeitung newspaper.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/jc
Cantons such as Vaud, Valais, Lucerne and Zurich will not decide for several weeks whether they can or even wish to extend mass screening pilot tests to schools and companies, the paper reports. It says several cantons including Zurich and Basel prefer to promote mass testing in Covid-19 “hotspots” rather than in schools.
Big retailers like Migros and Coop, as well as government-linked companies like Swiss Post and the Swiss Federal Railways, are also cautious about whether to introduce mass testing for employees, writes the Sonntagszeitung.
Open letter
Meanwhile, the Swiss business community has sent an open letter calling for the government to take steps to end state intervention in social and economic life, reports the SonntagsBlick newspaper. Business associations are also urging that a digital, forgery-proof passport be available by the end of June to show if a person is Covid-19 free.
Signatories to the open letter include heads of leading business organisations Economiesuisse, the Swiss Trades Association (USAM) and Gastrosuisse, as well as several centre-right parliamentarians.
Train line between Brig and Domodossola interrupted
This content was published on
One day after a derailment approximately 15 kilometres from the Swiss border, BLS is running buses for passengers between Preglia and Domodossola, in Italy.
Swiss football boss wants crackdown on individual hooligans
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss Football League says he prefers a harsher approach to individual hooligans rather than collective punishment measures affecting all fans.
Amherd: Council of Europe is ‘as urgently needed as ever’
This content was published on
The Swiss government emphasised on Sunday the vital role of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, 75 years after it was founded.
Swiss minister: Italy will back Switzerland in EU talks
This content was published on
Bern can count on the backing of Italy as it re-enters talks with the European Union on future relations, Viola Amherd says.
Student protestors at University of Lausanne continue pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
Since Thursday, a hall on campus has been occupied by students calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and a ceasefire in Gaza.
This content was published on
Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
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.
Read more
More
‘You can’t test the virus away’
This content was published on
As Switzerland embarks on a major test offensive, Geneva virologist Isabella Eckerle cautions against treating it as a silver bullet.
First Swiss canton starts mass coronavirus testing
This content was published on
Canton Graubünden has started targeted mass testing of residents as part of its measures to shore up the ski season. This is a Swiss-wide first.
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.