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HEALTH

‘Don’t give into fear’: Swiss government tries to reassure public as cases double overnight

Swiss officials urged people not to be afraid as cases of COVID-19 almost doubled on Sunday and drastic measures to halt the spread of the virus took hold.

'Don't give into fear': Swiss government tries to reassure public as cases double overnight
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

“We must not give in to fear,” Health Minister Alain Berset told NZZ am Sonntag newspaper, calling on people to stay calm and pull together.

Infections jumped on Sunday by nearly 1,000 in 24 hours to 2,200 and 14 deaths were recorded from the virus across the country.

READ: What you need to know about Switzerland's school closures

UPDATE: What you need to know about coronavirus in Switzerland 

On Friday, the government closed schools and banned large public gatherings and the army said it was preparing to help overstretched hospitals.

The country also reintroduced tight border controls with neighbouring countries in the bloc and slapped strict limits on who can cross over from hard-hit Italy, where more than 1,400 people have died in the pandemic.

The southern Ticino region, which borders Italy, went further and ordered the closure of all restaurants, bars and shops, with the exception of food stores and pharmacies.

After the nationwide measures were announced, the wealthy Alpine nation saw shelves in some supermarkets stripped bare  as people anticipated tighter restrictions and shortages.

President Simonetta Sommaruga told Le Matin Dimanche newspaper Switzerland was well-placed to handle the outbreak.

“We are in a position to overcome this crisis, on the medical and the financial level,” she insisted, pointing out that “Switzerland is a rich country. We won't leave anyone behind.”

The government announced Friday that it would make $10.5 billion available immediately to help companies and employees to make it through the crisis.

Thomas Kluhr, head of national airline Swiss, said no airline would survive the crisis without government support.

He told SonntagsBlick weekly Swiss and its parent company Lufthansa were likely to survive for longer than other airlines, adding: “But how long is unclear in this constantly changing situation.”

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HEALTH

The essential Swiss websites you need to use for health matters

If you just moved to Switzerland (or even if you have lived here for a while), your learning curve about health-related matters in the country may be steep. These sites will help you find the information you need.

The essential Swiss websites you need to use for health matters

Staying healthy is probably one of your top priorities, but doing so in a foreign country is not easy.

That is why having some reliable resources that you can check out and follow will be helpful.

First: The Local

No, we are not doctors, but we have published a number of factual articles over the years about many aspects of healthcare in Switzerland that our readers find helpful.

You can find a compilation of these health-related stories here

Federal Office of Public Health 

Obviously, when it comes to matters of health, the Health Ministry has lots of information that will be relevant to you at one time or another.

Aside from matters of health policy (which is important for all residents of Switzerland), the site also has a regularly updated Infectious Diseases Dashboard to let you know what communicable illnesses are currently circulating in Switzerland — and how to avoid them.

It also provides age-specific health information and recommendations — for instance, for children and teenagers, as well as for the elderly.

Hospital websites

Individual hospitals in your area are good sources of information as well, and many of them are in English.

You can find there general health information, care and treatment options, online emergency room signup, new medical technologies being used, and other patient resources:

Geneva University Hospitals (HUG)

Vaud University Hospital (CHUV)

Zurich University Hospital

Basel University Hospital 

If you live in an area without a university medical centre, your local hospital is also a valuable source of health-related information.

Appointment booking platform

This website is especially useful for people who don’t yet have a doctor in Switzerland but need to set an appointment with one. 

It gives you an option of choosing a specialty and location, and then displays doctor’s names and addresses, background information about them, and which time slots they have available.

You can easily set up an appointment this way.

Your health insurer’s website

This may not be an intuitive choice for impartial information about healthcare but you may be surprised.

For instance, Sanitas insurance site has information about emergency care decisions, and how to void unnecessary medical treatments.

CSS has health information geared specifically to men and women.

Helsana talks about ways to combat stress and sleep problems.

These are just a few examples on what valuable tips you can find on your insurer’s website.

Websites devoted to specific medical conditions

If you seek information about a specific illness — such as treatment options in Switzerland — there are plenty of online resources for that as well.

For instance:

Heart and cardiovascular 

Diabetes 

Osteoporosis 

Mental illness 

General pain 

Other diseases 

Last but not least, while not related to health, these websites will also provide useful information for international residents:

The Swiss websites that can help you save money
 
The most useful website resources to help you get Swiss citizenship 
 
 

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