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HEALTH

How coronavirus is changing Switzerland’s cities

Cities and towns across Switzerland are using the pandemic as a way to make permanent urban changes.

How coronavirus is changing Switzerland's cities
A cyclist in Lausanne. Photo: HAROLD CUNNINGHAM / AFP

One of the major changes has been to convert roads and parking spaces into bike lanes. 

In Lausanne, the city turned 608 parking spaces into 7.8 kilometres of bike lanes in pursuit of “sustainable mobility”.

This change was made during the state of emergency declared during the pandemic, however Swiss media reports that it is expected to be permanent. 

In Geneva, similar steps have been taken, with authorities telling Swiss media “we took the opportunity that corona gave us”. 

The changes have been less significant in German-speaking Switzerland. In Zurich, plans to convert traffic to bike lanes have been shelved, while Bern – the self-proclaimed cycle capital of Switzerland – has not expanded its bike network. 

Although this may appear to be a missed opportunity, Christoph Merkli, head of infrastructure and policy Pro Velo Switzerland told Swiss media it was more likely to be a consequence of growing demand in French-speaking Switzerland, which is behind German-speaking Switzerland when it comes to cycle infrastructure.

READ: How coronavirus will change the way we move around Swiss cities 

A permanent change in mobility? 

Fear of contracting the coronavirus remains pervasive across Switzerland. 

The fear is particularly prevalent in public transport, where ventilation is often minimal and social distancing impossible. 

A study by Deloitte Switzerland has shown Swiss commuters are making the switch from public transport to other ‘private’ means of commuting, including bikes, e-bikes and cars. 

Working from home, which has exploded in popularity during the coronavirus lockdown, is also likely to remain long after the threat of a second wave of the virus is gone. 

Employee rights in Switzerland during the coronavirus: What you need to know 

The findings pose a challenge for Swiss policy makers who want to reduce traffic, particularly in the country’s largest cities. 

Pre-pandemic, both Zurich and Geneva have been recognised as having some of the world’s worst traffic congestion.

Drivers in the French-speaking city spend an average of 52 hours in relatively slow traffic every year while that figure is 51 hours in Zurich. 

A permanent shift from public to private?

One third of those surveyed said they will opt for more journeys on foot, by e-scooter or by bike. 

A quarter said they would permanently cut down on public transport use, as well as cutting ride sharing and taxi services. 

The desire to use private transport was particularly pronounced among younger people, with one in four under 30 saying they would drive a car more in the future, while just under a third said they would ride a motorbike more often. 

How will the coronavirus change transport in Switzerland? Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Working from home is here to stay

As a result of the crisis, twice as many Swiss now work from home than they did before the outbreak. 

A third of those surveyed said they would continue to work from home after the crisis ends. 

A total of 41 percent of respondents said they felt they were more productive at home, while 31 percent said they felt the same. 

One quarter of respondents said they felt less productive when working from home than in the office. 

The authors said employers must respond to this desire by putting in place flexible working arrangements wherever possible. 

“People want to continue working from home more often in the future. Companies cannot avoid introducing or expanding more flexible working models,” said Matthias Thalmann from Deloitte Switzerland. 

“The accelerated flexibilisation of place of work and working time has positive effects because the employees become more independent of the location and can take their time management into their own hands. In addition, the traffic infrastructure is relieved and the climate is spared.”

In addition to a happier workforce, such a shift would ensure companies were better prepared for future crises – including a potential second wave of the coronavirus. 

“Our experience with customers has also been confirmed in this crisis: If companies have a good home office infrastructure and have equipped their employees with the necessary virtual resources and technologies, they can react quickly to new and unexpected situations,” said Veronica Melian from Deloitte Switzerland.

“As flexibility becomes more and more important, companies have to take action and close their technology gaps by finding and introducing solutions for virtual collaboration.”

Public transport and infection rates

In a separate study completed on Tuesday by ETH Lausanne, researchers found a direct link between mobility and higher likelihood of infection. 

The findings illustrated the importance of the lockdown measures, while also highlighting the potential for transmission that exists in small spaces such as public transport. 

 

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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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