Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

ZURICH

‘40,000 cases daily in Zurich’ as authorities warn of triage for the unvaccinated

Zurich Health Director Natalie Rickli has warned Zurich could hit 40,000 daily Covid cases and called for a relaxation in the quarantine rules. Rickli also warned hospitals may have to prioritise the vaccinated, saying Switzerland should “no longer be held hostage” but those who refuse the jab.

Published: 11 January 2022 11:31 CET
Zurich health boss Natalie Rickli warned Switzerland would not be
Zurich health boss Natalie Rickli warned Switzerland would not be "held hostage" by the unvaccinated. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

In December, Swiss health officials warned the country could cross the 20,000 daily Covid case mark for the first time in the new year. 

‘20,000 cases per day’: Experts draw Covid forecast for Switzerland

In just the first week of January, not only was the 20,000 case barrier crossed for the first time, but more than 30,000 cases were recorded in a 24-hour period on multiple occasions. 

Zurich Health Director Natalie Rickli has warned that the situation will continue to spiral, with internal modelling showing Zurich could itself be recording 40,000 cases per day by the end of January. 

EXPLAINED: What are Switzerland’s current Covid measures?

While Zurich is Switzerland’s most populous canton, 40,000 cases per day would see the region plunged into uncertainty and havoc, with businesses and essential services being forced to shut down due to staff quarantines. 

“We are dealing with a monster wave that cannot be stopped. It will overrun the country in the next few weeks,” Rickli told Switzerland’s NZZ newspaper. 

“They (Covid cases) will paralyse our society if we do not act now.”

Rickli called for a reduction in the quarantine rules, particularly for those who have been vaccinated. 

“That is why the federal government urgently needs to reduce the duration of the quarantine and isolation to five days. We, (the) Health Directors of the cantons of eastern Switzerland, asked the Federal Council by letter on Friday to adjust isolation and quarantine accordingly.”

Switzerland will announce a possible change to the quarantine rules on Wednesday, Finance Minister Ueli Maurer confirmed. 

Covid-19: What will Switzerland announce on Wednesday?

Triage for unvaccinated Covid patents? 

Ricki also brought up the controversial topic of hospitals deciding between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients in ICUs. 

While the current situation in Zurich’s hospitals and ICUs is relatively stable, a dramatic increase in cases could again lead to overcrowding. 

Rickli said those who refused the jab should be prepared to give up ICU spots for those who have been jabbed. 

“But above all you would have to take those at their word who absolutely refused to be vaccinated. At the moment they make up around 80 percent in the intensive care units,” she said. 

“I think such patients should also be prepared to forego intensive treatment and not burden the staff with it for weeks. 

“It cannot be that the unvaccinated continue to take us hostage as a society, now that you can see light at the end of the tunnel.”

Swiss authorities have repeatedly ruled out triage between vaccinated and unvaccinated people in Switzerland, saying the main criteria should remain the chances of survival of respective patients. 

READ MORE: Should vaccinated people have triage priority in Swiss hospitals?

Member comments

  1. At the same time we should prioritise out people who smoke, drink, eat and sit themselves sick! They should not benefit of their health insurance on the cost of all of us who are strong, healthy and more or less bold and beautiful!

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

The Zurich paradox: Why is world’s most expensive city also the best to live in?

Can residents of Switzerland’s largest city really be happy, considering its higher-than-elsewhere cost of living?

Published: 15 April 2024 12:16 CEST
The Zurich paradox: Why is world's most expensive city also the best to live in?

In the latest quality of life report from the European Commission, Zurich has beat, fair and square, 82 cities across the EU, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – that is, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein – the United Kingdom, the Western Balkans, and Turkey.

The survey found that majority of Zurich residents are happy with their jobs, public transport, healthcare services, air quality, and their financial situation.

The city also offers the best quality of life for older people and the LGBTQ+ community in all of Europe.

While Zurich is not exactly a stranger to such accolades, having won similar titles before, it has not consistently scored high marks in all surveys.

On the contrary, for several years in a row, including in 2023, Zurich was ranked the world’s most expensive city in the Economist magazine’s Cost of Living index. Once the 2024 figures are released later in the year, it is a safe bet that Zurich will be at, or near, the top again.

This brings up a question of how a city (or a country) can be “best” and “worst” at the same time.

Not a major issue

Every second year, Zurich municipal authorities conduct a survey among the local population about what they like and dislike about the life in their city.

In the last such survey, published in December 2023, city residents mentioned such downsides as shortage of affordable housing and traffic congestion but, interestingly, the notoriously high cost of living was not cited as a huge concern. 

One reason may be high wages. 

Based on data from the Federal Statistical Office, a median monthly wage in the city is 8,000 francs – about 1,300 francs more than the already high median Swiss salary.

You may argue that the high salaries don’t necessarily compensate for high prices.

However, a new study shows that the purchasing power in Zurich is quite high.
 
With 57,771 francs of disposable income per capita, Zurich’s purchasing power is among the highest in the country, exceeding the national average of 50,000 francs (which, in itself, is higher than elsewhere).

READ ALSO: Where in Switzerland does your money go further? 

Of course, this is the case of the 50 percent of the population that earn upwards of the median wage; for the other half, the quality of life probably isn’t as high.

Assuming, then, that the surveys are carried out mostly among residents with decent salaries, their assessments of life in Zurich will be mostly positive.

The link between wealth and quality of life

Consider this domino effect:

The more people earn and the more income tax they pay (although Zurich’s rate is not Switzerland’s highest), the more money there will be in public coffers to spend on infrastructure, public transport, health services, school system, recreational activities, parks and green spaces, and all the other “perks” that contribute to the city’s quality-of-life ranking.

In other words, good life comes at a price, even though – in Zurich’s case – it is a high one.

SHOW COMMENTS