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SWITZERLAND

Sweden win ice hockey world champs at home

Sweden battled back from a goal down to grab their ninth world ice hockey title on Sunday with a 5-1 win over unfancied Switzerland.

Published: 20 May 2013 07:20 CEST
Sweden win ice hockey world champs at home

Vancouver Canucks center Henrik Sedin collected two goals and an assist, while goalkeeper Jhonas Enroth made 26 saves to avenge a 3-2 defeat in the preliminary round.

The win has also ended the home-ice curse that prevented the championships’ hosts from winning the title on their home ice since the Soviet team did it in 1986.

Switzerland’s silver was the team’s first medal at the world championships after a 60-year wait.

IN PICTURES: See how Stockholm, the team, and the royal family celebrated the victory

“It’s terrific to be world champions,” New Jersey Devils defender Henrik Tallinder said. “It’s especially great to win the title in front of our home crowd.”

“We started the event unimpressively but managed to improve our performance day by day to finish on top.”

The Swiss took the lead at 4:45 through Nashville Predators rear guard Roman Josi, who sent the puck in with a close-range backhand shot.

Philadelphia Flyers blueliner Erik Gustafsson pulled Sweden level four minutes later sending home a rebound after Fredrik Pettersson’s powerful slap shot.

Henrik Sedin lifted Sweden 2-1 up at 11:38 with a powerplay goal sending the puck into unguarded net on his twin brother Daniel’s feeding pass.

Simon Hjalmarsson scored Sweden’s third goal 7:13 into the third period sweeping home a rebound after a mixup in the Swiss defence.

Dallas Stars left wing Loui Eriksson made it 4-1 at 55:37, while Henrik Sedin rounded off the scoring with his shorthanded empty net goal with 3:24 to go.

“We started well and scored,” said Swiss defender Severin Blindenbacher.

“Things went our way early in the match but we collected too many penalties in the first period and allowed them to grab control and win the game.”

The United States won bronze after beating co-hosts Finland 3-2 in a penalty shootout.

Montreal Canadiens center Alex Galchenyuk scored the winning penalty as the US won their first world championship medal since a bronze in Prague in 2004.

The United States got off to a flying start through Craig Smith, who sent the puck home after just 58 seconds.

US captain Paul Stastny added his goal with 4:02 left in the first period, firing home on a powerplay.

But in the third Finland levelled courtesy of a double by Phoenix Coyotes left wing Lauri Korpikoski.

After a goalless overtime the match went to a penalty shootout where Galchenyuk scored the deciding penalty.

“I’m really proud of my players, who clinched this very important win for our country,” US manager Joe Sacco said.

“But the most impressive thing for me was how quick the group of young players became the real team.”

“We started the match really well. But after we went 2-0 up the Finns put pressure on us and levelled. Luckily, our goaltending today was really good, especially in the shootout.”

AFP/The Local/og

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SWITZERLAND

Three scenarios: How Switzerland plans to fight a Covid resurgence

Swiss government has devised three contingency plans that could be implemented to fight a new outbreak. What are they?

Published: 1 July 2021 11:08 CEST
Three scenarios: How Switzerland plans to fight a Covid resurgence
Authorities want to prevent overcrowded hospitals if new wave comes. Photo by Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

Although Switzerland relaxed a number of coronavirus rules from June 26th and 28th, “the pandemic is not over”, as Health Minister Alain Berset said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Berset said Switzerland should not become complacent, with last summer a warning against feeling that the battle is won. 

He added, however, that the new wave is unlikely to be as large as the previous ones due to the country’s vaccination campaign.

This situation leaves a degree of uncertainty for which the government wants to be prepared as well as possible, Berset noted.

The Federal Council established a “just-in-case” procedure on Wednesday for three possible scenarios that could take place in the autumn and winter. 

These plans focus mainly on the rapid detection of variants and the continuation of vaccination, testing, and tracing.

The best-case scenario: status quo

In this scenario, the number of cases remains at a low level, though small outbreaks are still possible.

The number of infections may increase slightly due to seasonal factors — the virus is known to spread slower in summer and faster in autumn and winter—  but does not place a significant burden on the health system.

If this happens, no measures beyond those already in place would be necessary.

READ MORE: ANALYSIS: Is Switzerland lifting its Covid-19 restrictions too quickly?

Not so good: more contaminations

In this second scenario, there is an increase in the number of cases in autumn or winter.

There may be several reasons for this, for example the large proportion of unvaccinated people, seasonal effects — people tend to stay indoors together in cold weather, and contaminations are easier — or the appearance of new, more infectious variants.

This situation could overburden the health system and require the reintroduction of certain measures, such as the obligation to wear a mask outdoors.

Booster vaccinations may also be necessary.

The worst: new virus mutations

In scenario three, one or more new variants appear, against which the vaccine or the post-recovery immunity are less effective or no longer effective.

A new wave of pandemic emerges, requiring strong intervention by the public authorities and a new vaccination.

Which of the three scenarios is most likely to happen?

The government hasn’t said, but judging by the comments of health officials, the latter two are the strongest contenders.

Firstly, because the highly contagious Delta mutation, which is spreading quickly through many countries, is expected to be dominant in Switzerland within a few weeks.

It is expected that the virus will spread mostly to those who are not vaccinated and, to a lesser degree, to people who have only had one shot of the vaccine, according to Andreas Cerny, epidemiologist at the University of Bern

READ MORE: How Switzerland plans to contain the Delta variant

Another concern is related to the appearance of the new variants which could be as or possibly even more contagious than Delta and not as responsive to the current vaccines.

The government said the best chance of avoiding the second or third scenarios is to ensure people are vaccinated. 

“Widespread vaccination of the population is crucial to relieve the burden on the healthcare system and to manage the epidemic. A possible increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the autumn will largely depend on the proportion of the population that has been vaccinated,” the government wrote in a press statement.

The government has also indicating it is preparing for booster vaccinations to take place in 2022 and are encouraging cantons to keep their vaccine infrastructures in place. 

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