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HEALTH

Coronavirus: Zurich recommends masks on public transport from May 11th

Wearing a mask will be recommended - but not required - on all public transport in Zurich from Monday.

Published: 7 May 2020 16:46 CEST
Updated: 7 May 2020 19:42 CEST
Coronavirus: Zurich recommends masks on public transport from May 11th
Photo: VBZ

With the public transport timetable almost returning to normal as Switzerland’s biggest city continues its emergence from the coronavirus lockdown, transport authorities have recommended the wearing of masks – but has stopped short of requiring them in order to travel. 

Zurich’s transport authorities have also told commuters to avoid peak times wherever possible. 

Other countries in Europe and elsewhere across the globe have put in place mask requirements on public transport, as well as in supermarkets and in some industries like hospitality and hairdressing. 

Coronavirus: Majority of Swiss support making masks compulsory 

Switzerland has however been reluctant to follow suit. The wearing of masks is not even recommended by the federal government, unless a person feels sick. 

In order to get commuters in the spirit, trams in the city have had masks painted on – along with the message “to set a good example”. 

In a tweet on Thursday, the VBZ explained the recommendation. 

 

 

The Cobra trams set a good example: On May 11th we will be running again almost in the normal rhythm. For a healthy coexistence, we ask you to avoid peak times and wear a mask in the Tram and #Bus. 

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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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