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HEALTH

UPDATED: Four cases of coronavirus confirmed in Switzerland

Two new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the canton of the Grisons, added to one case in Geneva and Ticino.

Published: 27 February 2020 21:31 CET
UPDATED: Four cases of coronavirus confirmed in Switzerland
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP
The two new cases were reported on Thursday morning, with the patients put into quarantine. 
 
Earlier on Thursday, a 28-year-old man in the canton of Geneva become Switzerland’s second confirmed case of coronavirus. The man, who had recently travelled to Milan, received the positive confirmation early on Thursday morning. 
 

 
Once the diagnosis was made clear, 15 of the man’s friends and work colleagues were put in quarantine. 

 

Indicating the spread of the virus across Switzerland, there is another positive case in the central canton of Aargau, although the positive test is waiting a confirmation. 

The first positive case was detected in the southern canton of Ticino which borders the Italian region of Lombardy, which has become the centre of the outbreak in northern Italy. 

Update: Switzerland confirms first case of coronavirus

Coronavirus in Italy: Should Switzerland close its southern border?

Geneva watch expo cancelled over coronavirus

The organiser of Geneva's international expo of fine watches said Thursday it had decided to cancel the April event because of the spread of the new coronavirus. 

“In view of the latest developments concerning the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus… the decision has been taken to cancel the upcoming edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva” said the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie.

The Geneva event is a major trade show for the luxury watch industry and is particularly important for the many Switzerland-based makers of fine timepieces. 

China and the Asian region have become increasingly important in recent years for watchmakers as they have for other luxury goods manufacturers. 

China is at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, and international airlines have scaled back flights to the region and many firms are cutting back travel by their employees. 

Other large international business gatherings, such as Europe's top mobile phone trade show in Barcelona, have been cancelled amid the outbreak, which has now killed over 2,700 people and infected some 78,000. 

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The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie said “in order to protect the health and well-being of all our guests, press, partners and teams” it had decided that it should cancel the event, due to have taken place in Geneva from April 25th-29th.

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HEALTH INSURANCE

Could glasses and contact lenses soon be covered by Swiss health insurance?

The Swiss health system is ranked among the best in the world, but some essentials, like glasses, aren't automatically covered by health insurance. That could soon change, however

Published: 16 May 2024 15:06 CEST
Could glasses and contact lenses soon be covered by Swiss health insurance?

Green Party Federal Councillor Katharina Prelicz-Huber revealed in an interview with newspaper 20 Minuten this week that the Federal Parliament had tabled a motion to include prescription glasses and contact lenses in Switzerland’s mandatory health insurance scheme. 

Prelicz-Huber stated: “The purpose of compulsory health insurance is to provide the services you need to get or stay healthy,”

The motion forms part of the legislation that will be voted on during the 2024 summer session of the Federal Council. 

Proposed changes 

According to Switzerland’s peak optician body, 4 in 5 Swiss wear glasses or contact lenses at some point. 

It’s no surprise that statistics repository, Statista, projects the Swiss eyewear industry to be worth €1.37 billion by 2028. 

Currently, glasses and contact lenses are covered for up to 180 francs for children until age eighteen, if they are proscribed by a doctor.

Adults can also claim money back for glasses and contact lenses – however, they must be suffering from one of a short list of specific conditions such as keratoconus – where the cornea is distorted – or severe myopia, otherwise known as near-sightedness.

They must also have been specifically prescribed them by a doctor or optometrist. 

Otherwise, supplemental optical insurance must be purchased in Switzerland to ensure you can recoup the cost. 

Under the Green Party proposal, glasses, contact lenses, and other visual aids would be covered, regardless of age. 

Rising premiums prompt opposition 

Not everybody agrees with the proposal. 

The right-wing SVP has already spoken out against it, with Federal Councillor Diana Gutjahr arguing: “If we seriously want to slow down the burdensome and constantly rising health costs for the benefit of the population, we [must] show the political will not to constantly expand the benefits of compulsory health insurance.”

A spokesman for the the health insurance advocacy group Santesuisse, Matthias Müller, echoed Gutjahr, claiming that insurance constitutes “financing for extraordinary events such as illness.”

“If almost everyone benefits from a certain service, it is no longer an insurance benefit.”

A date for the vote has yet to be announced. 

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