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HEALTH

‘Worry is the word of the hour’: Switzerland doubles its highest total of new coronavirus cases

Switzerland on Wednesday recorded its highest ever total of new infections, double the highest that was recorded during the peak of the pandemic in March before there was widespread testing.

Published: 14 October 2020 17:55 CEST
Updated: 15 October 2020 09:47 CEST
'Worry is the word of the hour': Switzerland doubles its highest total of new coronavirus cases
Spectators wearing protective face masks watch the Swiss National League ice hockey match between Lausanne HC and SCL Tigers in Lausanne, on October 1, 2020. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

A total of 2,823 cases were recorded in the 24 hours to Wednesday by Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health. 

This is almost double the highest total recorded so far in Switzerland over a 24-hour period, 1,464 new infections recorded on March 23rd. 

With 20,704 tests carried out, the test positivity rate is 13.6 percent. 

The total represented four percent of the total infections recorded in the canton since the pandemic began, Switzerland’s 20 Minutes reported on Wednesday.

 

 

On Thursday, Switzerland will hold a ‘crisis summit’ to discuss ways to prevent a second lockdown. 

Switzerland calls 'crisis summit' in bid to avoid second lockdown 

‘Worry. That’s the word of the hour’

Lukas Engelberger, President of the Conference of Health Directorates, told Swiss radio that concern was rising about the increase in cases. 

“Worry. That’s the word of the hour,” he said. 

“It is possible that the situation has given us too much confidence.”

Engelberger called upon Swiss residents to wear masks and respect social distancing in order to stop the spread of the virus. 

 

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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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