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HEALTH

Swiss authorities retract report stating two out of three new coronavirus infections come from nightclubs or restaurants

Almost half of Switzerland’s new coronavirus infections came from nightclubs, with another third coming from bars and restaurants. (UPDATE: Swiss authorities have retracted these figures and apologised for the calculation error)

Swiss authorities retract report stating two out of three new coronavirus infections come from nightclubs or restaurants
Not the right type of masks to wear in a club. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Editor's note: The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health has since publication retracted these figures, saying it made a mistake in its calculation. Families, not nightclubs, are the biggest source of coronavirus infections. Read the updated news here.

New research from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health shows how coronavirus spreads throughout the community, with nightclubs, bars and restaurants the main infection points. 

The figures, provided to the Swiss public broadcaster, show that 42 percent of new infections in Switzerland over the past two weeks came from nightclubs. 

A further 27 percent came from bars and restaurants – meaning that 69 percent of all new infections over the past fortnight have come in either nightlife venues or gastronomy. 

Just over 12 percent came from a family member, while 8 percent of infections came from medical personnel. 

The news comes amid admissions from Swiss officials that nightclubs were opened too early. 

Swiss authorities: 'We opened bars and nightclubs too early' 

Since nightclubs were allowed to reopen with up to 300 guests in Switzerland on June 8th, there have been a number of outbreaks, forcing hundreds into quarantines. 

Several cantons have wound back the numbers of people allowed in nightclubs, while others have told revellers to wear masks.

All nightclub attendees are still required to keep 1.5 metres distance from each other at all times in Switzerland. 

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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

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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