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WHAT CHANGES IN SWITZERLAND

Everything that changes in February 2022 in Switzerland

From skiing to Covid measures, here's what is set to change in February 2022 in Switzerland.

Published: 28 January 2022 17:31 CET
Updated: 15 February 2022 08:56 CET
A person holds an unusually small white clock against a blank background.
Here are some of the changes Switzerland has in store this February. Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

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.

 

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN SWITZERLAND

Everything that changes in Switzerland in July 2024

From price hikes to disrupted train travel, this is what you can expect in Switzerland in July 2024.

Published: 21 June 2024 14:34 CEST
Updated: 24 June 2024 11:39 CEST
Everything that changes in Switzerland in July 2024

July is a traditional holiday month in Switzerland and much of the country comes to a standstill (the same way as Italy and France do in August).

The government is also on a break, so political life slows down as well.

Additionally, a number of offices work on a reduced schedule, so it may seem that nothing at all happens in the country this month, but in fact quite a few changes, and other events, are underway:

July 1st: Price of Swiss milk to go up

You will have to pay 3 cents more for a litre of milk — an increase which is meant to bring some financial relief to Swiss dairy farmers.

But only the milk intended for drinking will become more expensive; the product which is used for cheese production will not be impacted by the price hike. 

July 1st: Cost of certain medications will increase

Swiss consumers pay significantly more for their medicines than those in neighbouring European countries. 

From July 1st,  inexpensive medicines whose factory price is less than, or equal to, 15 francs, will become more expensive. 

This change will affect more than half of medications currently being sold in Switzerland.

As a result of this move, “additional costs of several hundred million will be passed on to patients,” according to Intergenrika, which represents generic drug manufacturers in Switzerland. 

In a nutshell, consumers will pay slightly lower prices for medicines that were previously more expensive, but will also end up paying more  for those that are currently cheaper – like generics.

July 1st: SBB will change public announcements concerning suicides on train tracks

About 112 people throw themselves under moving trains each year in Switzerland.

When that happens, and the train stops midway, the public system announcement over loud speakers in the train and at all stations impacted by the delay, cites “personal accident” as a reason for the disruption.

Everyone knows, however, that this is a code word for suicide, and such announcements upset commuters.

For this reason, Swiss national rail company, SBB,  said that from July 1st, “personal accident” will be replaced by a more neutral “event linked to an external cause” — which will cover all disruptions, and not just suicides. 

More price hikes: Swisscom’s new ‘package’ to become more expensive

From July 24th, Switzerland’s largest telecom will abandon its inOne Home package, which includes the telephone, Internet and television.
It will be replaced by a new service called Basic Home. But as it offers a high speed internet of 50 Mbps instead of the current 10 Mbps, the cost of the subscription will be higher as well: it will increase from 50 francs a month right now to 59.90 francs.  

The transition to the new package will be done automatically, so anyone who doesn’t want to pay higher subscription price should notify Swisscom as soon as possible.

July 1st: Legal definition of ‘rape’ is changed

The new criminal law on sexual matters, to go into force on July 1st, will introduce a new definition of sexual violence: ‘No is no.’

This is a reform of a longstanding legislation, which has a much narrower definition of what constitutes rape.

For instance, current law requires that penetration takes place and that victim shows resistance for the act to qualify as sexual violence.

Under the new rule, however, participants need to agree in words or clearly demonstrate they want to engage in sexual activity.

If this condition is not fulfilled, the act will be considered as taking place against the person’s wishes, and thus be a criminal offence.

Also, to be considered as sexual assault, the actual penetration no longer needs to occur.

July travel news: international trains are likely to be unreliable

If you’re planning to go abroad by train this summer, arm yourself with patience.

The reason is the abundance of construction sites across Europe, which slow down, or disrupt altogether, the train schedule.

In Switzerland, railroad maintenance work is carried out at night in order not to disturb the daytime timetable. Some neighbouring countries, however, “have decided to completely close train lines for the duration of the works”, Swiss media reports.

As a result, train travel to and from Switzerland will be chaotic amid the summer holiday rush.

You can see were in Europe train travel will be disrupted the most:

READ ALSO: Why you should not rely on trains to and from Switzerland this summer 

Also:

Culture!

There are plenty of festivals, concerts and other events taking place all over Switzerland in July.

You can see them here:

READ ALSO: 7 unmissable events in Switzerland this July

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