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HEALTH

MAP: Which Swiss cantons have been most affected by coronavirus?

The coronavirus is continuing to spread throughout Switzerland. These are the most heavily-hit cantons.

Published: 4 March 2020 19:19 CET
Updated: 14 May 2020 17:21 CEST
MAP: Which Swiss cantons have been most affected by coronavirus?
AFP

This article was updated on May 14th.

All of the 26 cantons in Switzerland have now declared cases of coronavirus. All but two – Obwalden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden – have seen fatalities. 

The latest figures confirms that there have been more than 30,300+ cases and 1,870+ deaths since the outbreak began.

The first death from the virus in Switzerland was confirmed on Thursday, March 5th, a woman in the canton of Vaud. 

UPDATE: What you need to know about the coronavirus crisis in Switzerland

The interactive map below shows which cantons in the country currently have the most cases and fatalities. 

Note: Due to the way in which the virus numbers are reported – sometimes directly via the cantons before requiring centralised approval in Geneva – there can occasionally be discrepancies. 

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According to cantonal figures, 27,100 people have contracted the virus and healed as at May 14th – although as Patrick Mathys, Head of the Crisis Management and International Cooperation Section of FOPH, has said previously, Switzerland itself does not release official figures of those who healed from the virus. 

“With flu, we don't ask ourselves this. It's basically simple: either you die from the coronavirus or you recover.”

And how does Switzerland compare to the rest of Europe?

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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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