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HEALTH

‘Just ten guests at Christmas’: How long will Switzerland’s Covid-19 measures last?

Switzerland’s Health Minister Alain Berset said on Thursday that the government had not yet set an end date for the country’s new coronavirus restrictions.

Published: 29 October 2020 20:55 CET
'Just ten guests at Christmas': How long will Switzerland's Covid-19 measures last?
A good example of keeping your distance at Christmas. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

In a wide-ranging interview with Swiss media on Thursday, Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset refused to rule out restrictions remaining in place until 2021. 

While German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday the goal of her country’s extensive coronavirus measures was to reduce infection rates and allow people to travel again during the festive season, Berset said residents of Switzerland should plan as if the measures would remain in place until the new year. 

READ: Switzerland's new coronavirus measures explained 

A party of ten?

Pursuant to the rules that came into place on October 29th, groups of more than 10 people are not allowed to meet under the proposed rules.

This includes all private events such as birthdays and weddings.

When asked if the ten-person limit on groups would remain in place in the festive season, Berset told 20 Minutes he was planning as if they would. 

“I don't know (about an end date for the restrictions)”, Berset said. 

“It depends on how the numbers develop. But at the moment I would only plan a party with ten people.

“I am currently planning a Christmas party with a maximum of ten people.”

When announcing the measures, Berset also declined to suggest an end date. 

“We first have to see whether the measures are effective,” said Berset.

“We cannot look into a crystal ball.”

New record in daily infections

The discussion came on the same day that Switzerland broke its all time record for new infections. 

On Thursday October 29th, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) detected a total of 9,386 new cases over the past 24 hours – a record for any 24-hour period since the pandemic began. 

There were 31 deaths and 287 hospital admissions nationwide. 

The new numbers came from 35,230 tests – meaning there was a 26.6 percent test positivity rate – another major concern for Swiss authorities. 

Just over two weeks ago, Swiss health authorities said a six percent test positivity rate – around than a fourth of the current rate – was too high. 

 

 

 

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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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