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Eliminate the “guillotine of age” from the law
Former Federal Councilor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, who chairs the Board of Pro Senectute Switzerland, defends herself in an interview with “SonntagsBlick” against the fact that older people in the crown pandemic are declared a risk group simply because of their age . “For Pro Senectute, it was too rigorous to include people of retirement age, that is 1.6 million people in Switzerland, in the so-called risk group simply because of their age. The term “risk group” is also problematic. These people do not represent any risk, they must be protected against coronavirus infection through all our behavior, or they must protect themselves in particular, “said the former federal councilor in an interview.
Older people are now healthy for longer and actively participate in social life. They are also an important resource and contribute a lot to the functioning of society. Pro Senectute is doing everything in its power to induce a rethinking of the age limit between the public and the authorities. According to Widmer-Schlumpf with success: Pro Senectute was able to obtain the Covid-19 law that the 65-year-old age limit must now be removed.
Different Licensing Practices in Cantons
When it comes to approving large-scale events, cantons act very differently. As reported by “SonntagsZeitung”, there is no basic concept of general application to assess the epidemiological situation. This analysis is one of the decisive factors for the realization of events. The canton of Zurich has an evaluation matrix with which the epidemiological situation can be evaluated, but it does not disclose this instrument. The canton of Zug, on the other hand, has already published an alert concept. Now the canton wants to publish evaluations of the epidemiological situation, said canton doctor Rudolf Hauri. Organizers must be able to understand how the canton arrived at their evaluations, so the reasoning.
Kids mask and test requirement
The assumption that children are not a risk group in the corona pandemic is not true, according to Geneva virologist Isabella Eckerle. Children infected with the coronavirus have the same viral load as adults. According to a report from “NZZ am Sonntag”, Eckerle asks that children take the Corona test as often as the entire population. If children are not tested, outbreaks in schools, as recently in Aargau and Geneva, will be noticed too late. Therefore, masks should be required of primary school children. However, it would have to be combined with other measures such as smaller classes, a combination of face-to-face and digital classes, and good ventilation. More about this here.
No recovery effect in hospitals
In the case of Swiss hospitals, the expected recovery effect did not materialize after the ban on treatment was lifted from April 27 to the end of June. This leaves hospitals in need of an explanation, as “NZZ am Sonntag” writes based on statements from the H + Hospital Association. The bottom line is that many of the planned interventions were not necessary, said CVP National Councilor Ruth Humbel. If something had been overlooked from a medical point of view, patients would long ago demand its treatments. Humbel is not alone in making this point. The central parliamentary group called for an analysis of the extent to which the treatment ban prevented unnecessary interventions.
Reject the obligation to wear a mask on public transport
Skeptics of the corona pandemic are trying to circumvent the mask requirement on public transport and in individual cantons when shopping. They receive support from doctors who are critical of the measures taken by the authorities on the Internet. According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, for example, a doctor from Bern specializing in psychiatry and psychotherapy issues a certificate upon request. In return, he asked for 20 francs, sent by letter. He also asks for support in a petition to the Federal Council against the mask requirement. The doctor is part of a network of crown skeptics. According to the Bern Health Directorate, the doctor’s behavior could result in disciplinary action.
SP supports the idea of the leader KOF
The SP picks up on the idea put forward by KOF director Jan-Egbert Sturm to plug the hole in the state treasury due to the crown pandemic by raising taxes for those companies that still make a profit despite the recession. To pay off the debts, the SP proposes a tax surcharge of 3 percent on the company’s profits, as reported by “Le Matin Dimanche” and “SonntagsBlick”. The surcharge must be introduced for a period of five years beginning in 2022. The party will present the corresponding motion in the fall session. For the president of the parliamentary group Roger Nordmann, the award is a question of solidarity. Even with the addition of a corporate tax rate of around 18 percent, Switzerland remains very attractive internationally.
The economy gets its way
According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, the Swiss economy is likely to get away with a black eye from the corona pandemic. According to a Federal Statistical Office survey of 18,000 companies, 71 percent of companies want to keep their workforce in the third quarter of 2020, 9 percent want to increase it, and 7 percent plan to cut jobs. 13 percent declined to comment. The positive evolution is reflected in the labor market. From June to August, the number of advertised positions increased from 26,500 to almost 40,000, which corresponds to an increase of more than 50 percent. This is demonstrated by an assessment of the hiring behavior of all Swiss companies by the two data companies Novalytica and X28. The number of vacancies is well below the previous year. But there are signs of recovery.
33 pesticide ban
The Federal Office of Agriculture has banned 33 dangerous plant protection products since the beginning of the year. That’s more than ever in a comparable period of time, as “NZZ am Sonntag” writes. The bans are a consequence of the fact that the EU had withdrawn many pesticides from circulation years earlier. But public pressure against the widespread use of pesticides is also having an impact. The “SonntagsBlick” quotes an organic farmer with the claim that farmers should not use pesticides, but rather work on what their soil needs. One conventional farmer pointed out the dramatic consequences of not using pesticides: less local food, fewer processing plants, and fewer jobs.
Laws against lies and hatred on Internet platforms
The Federal Office for Communication is checking, according to “SonntagsBlick”, if new laws should be created against lies and hatred on Internet platforms. On behalf of the Federal Council, OFCOM will prepare a report on this issue by spring 2021. The report will address the question of whether regulation is necessary from the Swiss point of view and what measures would be appropriate for it. In March, the federal government had already clarified in a preliminary study how Internet platforms could be regulated without violating constitutional principles such as freedom of expression. One possibility would be to force search engines and social media to make their algorithms transparent. In other words, the mechanisms that decide when and where certain content is displayed.
CS threatens more adversity
The big Credit Suisse bank is not calming down. According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, there are increasing indications that there have been two other surveillance cases after the Spy Gate affair involving the head of asset management, Iqbal Khan. One of the surveillance activities is said to have taken place in the United States and the other in Asia. They did not target members of the bank’s management. According to “SonntagsBlick”, information about any other secret service operations in CS is likely to be denied in the future. The Meilen compulsory measures court ordered in mid-July that the prosecutor not allow the seized items to be assessed. These were computers, laptops, cameras and cell phones that were confiscated from the deceased security expert.
Ordering fast food digitally is expensive
Customers who order fast food digitally spend an average of 30 percent more than when ordering in store. The type of order, whether it be by touch screen, mobile phone or computer, encourages you to spend more. According to “NZZ am Sonntag”, the menu of the Zug company determined this. The company specializes in digital ordering systems in the catering industry and is currently converting all Burger King branches in South America and the Caribbean. On screen, customers are not hungrier, but more uninhibited. The control mechanisms are suspended. Shame is a very important factor when ordering food.
