Covid certificates to expire

In mid-January, the Swiss government announced it was shortening the duration of Covid certificates from one year to nine months, with the change set to come into effect on February 1st. 

The reason for the shorter 270-day duration of the certificate is new evidence about the duration of protection from either vaccination or contracting the virus and recovering. 

As a result of this change, hundreds of thousands of certificates are set to expire on February 1st – with many of those unaware their certificates are now invalid. 

Anyone who received their second dose before May 2021 and has not received a booster will no longer have a valid certificate from Tuesday, February 1st, onwards. 

Click the following link for more information. 

READ MORE: ‘Hundreds of thousands’ of Covid certificates to expire on Tuesday

Car stickers

You had the entire month of January to purchase the 2022, motorway sticker to affix on your windshield. If you haven’t done it yet, then as of February 1st you could be fined 200 francs if you are caught driving on a motorway without it.

The price of the has remained the same as years prior – 40 francs – and it can be purchased at petrol stations, the post office, and some kiosks.

Here’s more information about this vignette:

Swiss vignette: What you need to know about Switzerland’s motorway charge sticker

The Post will charge for insufficient postage

Price of stamps has increased from January 1st — mail A went up to 1.10 francs and mail B to 90 cents — but the Post has granted a month’s ‘grace period’ for its customers to use up the old stamps.

From February 1st, however, the 10-cent surcharge for A mail and 5-cent for B mail will be billed to the senders who affixed insufficient postage.

If the senders can be identified, the missing value of the stamp will be invoiced to them, in addition  to 1 franc for processing fees.

Testing the alarm signal

The general alarm signal will be tested nationwide, as it is every year on the first Wednesday in February, on February 2nd, at 1.30 pm. The cantons will also broadcast a notification on the Alertswiss channels.

The general alarm signal – a steady oscillating siren lasting one minute – is intended  to alert the population of an impending emergency or disaster. 

From 2:15 to 3 p.m, the “water alert“ signal is tested in those areas that are close to dams.

According to Federal Office for Civil Protection, “The general public is not required to respond in a particular way or take protective measures, but simply requested in advance to excuse the inconvenience caused by the noise of the sirens”.

Swiss to vote on February 13th

Swiss voters will weigh in on four issues in the first referendum of 2022: animal experiments, advertising of tobacco products, stamp duties, and state aid for news media.

While these topics may not be as contentious and divisive as the Covid-19 legislation and Covid-19 certificate that the Swiss voted on in two separate referendums in 2021, these issues do matter to Switzerland’s population.

Click the following link for more info:

Tobacco, tax and animal testing: What’s at stake in Switzerland’s February referendum?

Winter sports

You can actually do other things than ski, but the traditional one-week-long winter break when public schools in Switzerland are off and families typically head to mountain slopes, is staggered throughout February.

It could fall at the beginning or end of the month, depending on the canton.

This year Swiss ski resorts are likely to be busy, as Switzerland is attracting record numbers of foreign tourists thanks to its comparatively relaxed Covid measures, with up to five times as many foreigners on the slopes as before the pandemic.

READ MORE: Skiing: Relaxed Swiss Covid rules attracting ‘record numbers of foreigners’

Covid measures to expire

If the epidemiological situation allows it, the government will end some current coronavirus measures, such as and the obligation to work from home and the quarantine rules on February 2nd. 

READ MORE: Switzerland to end quarantine rules and working from home requirement

The 2G regulations are also set to expire at the end of February (28th), although this may be brought forward if hospitalisations and ICU admissions remain low. 

The Federal Council originally intended to keep all the restrictions in place until the end of March, but gave in to the cantons, which favours a shorter duration.