[ad_1]
The coronavirus task force fights back
The federal working group on the coronavirus defended itself in the “SonntagsZeitung” against accusations of excessive scaremongering in the coronavirus situation. In recent weeks, scientists had warned several times that hospitals would be burdened with drastic forecasts, but they had largely not arrived. According to the newspaper, several hundred beds of the 1,400 beds in the intensive care unit are currently free. Task force member Stefan Bonhoeffer, a professor of environmental systems at ETH, now told the newspaper why last week’s predictions hadn’t come true. First, the October 23 Task Force projections were based on the assumption that non-emergency interventions would not be postponed. Furthermore, the doubling time of diseases has been reduced from 7 to 8.6 days. This means that the time when hospitals are running low has been delayed. On top of that, Bonhoeffer says on behalf of the task force that the warnings have contributed to the situation easing somewhat.
Rapid antigen testing test
According to the “NZZ am Sonntag”, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has commissioned the Swiss Society for Microbiology (SSM) to define quality criteria for rapid coronavirus tests and to submit the corresponding rapid antigen tests to a review Independent. The newspaper quotes Adrian Egli, a professor at the Basel University Hospital and a member of the SSM board. The guidelines will be released Monday by the BAG, he said. He also assured that there will be sufficient capacity in the laboratories represented by the SSM to carry out the complex studies. “Over the next four to eight weeks, a series of rapid antigen tests from various manufacturers should be validated,” he emphasized. This allows the federal government to expand its coronavirus testing strategy, because until now it has been almost impossible for foreign manufacturers of coronavirus antigen tests to import their products into Switzerland. They are required by the federal government to verify the accuracy of results in independent and recognized Swiss laboratories. But they lacked the requirements of the BAG.
Price supervisor asks for “best price” subscriptions for public transport
Price supervisor Stefan Meierhans asked public transport companies in the French-speaking Swiss newspaper “Le Matin Dimanche” to adjust their prices and review their offers during the coronavirus crisis. According to him, many users now need on-demand subscriptions. There are many more part-time jobs than ten years ago, he emphasized. “The needs of public transport users have changed. The pricing architecture does not change or does not change fast enough, “he told the newspaper. Therefore, Meierhans suggests taking inspiration from mobile phone deals, especially so-called “best price” subscriptions, which always guarantee the best prices. “We calculate retrospectively what you have actually consumed and apply the best possible price. These models are in great demand among consumers ”, he added.
Vienna attackers visited
The two men who were arrested in Winterthur last Tuesday are said to have visited the Vienna attacker. This is reported by the “NZZ am Sonntag”, the “SonntagsZeitung” and the “SonntagsBlick” with reference to the security groups and their own investigation. The men between the ages of 18 and 24 traveled to the Austrian capital between July 16 and 20, 2020, wrote the “NZZ am Sonntag.” In Vienna, however, they not only visited the Tawhid mosque, but also met the later assassin. Two Islamists from Germany were there, according to the “SonntagsBlick.” However, the meeting was observed by Austrian security authorities after receiving a notice from Germany. In addition to all this, according to the “NZZ am Sonntag”, it is presumed that the murderer also traveled to the canton of Zurich between July 21, 2020 and the attack last Monday. The 20-year-old jihadist shot in central Vienna on Monday night, killing four people and wounding 22 people. Finally, the police shot him.
356 pages of indictment against Vincenz
The Sunday press is dedicated, among other things, to the prosecution of economic crimes in the canton of Zurich against Pierin Vincenz, his business partner Beat Stocker and five other people. However, the accusation remains under lock and key. The Public Ministry forced all those involved to remain silent about the information in the investigation file. According to the newspaper “SonntagsBlick”, anyone who does not comply with this confidentiality order runs the risk of being sentenced for disobeying official orders. The eagerness of the authorities to keep the accusation to themselves is very unusual, he said. Even the responsible prosecutor admitted to the newspaper that such secrecy is rarely necessary. However, it justifies the procedure with the “protection of privacy” of the accused. The district court, in turn, considers that the delivery of the accusation is “unjustifiable” due to the presumption of innocence, which is applied without reservation to all the accused. The “SonntagsZeitung”, on the other hand, specifically writes about the 356-page indictment that does not shed a good light on Raiffeisen Bank, lawyers and financial market regulator Finma.
The compassionate use program is not ready as of December 1
The “SonntagsBlick” reports that the cantons are not prepared for the emergency program announced by Finance Minister Ueli Maurer on December 1. Originally, the package should have taken effect in early February, but due to pressure from many sides, aid funds should now flow on December 1. In most cantons, however, a new law is needed for emergency aid, he said. Then the referendum period begins. For this reason, officials in Zurich, for example, expected that the first funds would not flow until late January or early February. From the canton of Bern, economics director Christoph Ammann told the newspaper: “We have no way of helping companies this year.” And the canton of Basel-Stadt wants to help those affected from mid-December, he said.
New negotiations with the EU
Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis wants to give new impetus to the negotiations in the dispute with the EU, according to the “NZZ am Sonntag” and the “SonntagsZeitung”. Newspapers are based on inside information. According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, Cassis plans to propose new negotiations with the EU on important points of the framework agreement to the Federal Council next Wednesday. So far, only clarifications have been spoken about the draft contract negotiated in the areas of wage protection, state aid and social assistance for EU foreigners. It should now be renegotiated, he said. The key points of the contract, namely the automatic adoption of rights and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, should not be topics of conversation, he said. However, this strategy carries the risk of the EU refusing to hold talks because the treaty is again disengaging against its will.
Group Liability Initiative: Risk of Reputational Damage
Novartis’ Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jörg Reinhardt, fears that accepting the corporate responsibility initiative will cause some damage to the reputation of Swiss groups. “But I am afraid that the initiative as it stands now will unleash a flood of abusive lawsuits that are difficult to avoid due to the burden of reverse proof. We would be branded as possible perpetrators from the beginning and we would have to prove their innocence. Damage to reputation would be a real danger, “Reinhardt told” NZZ am Sonntag. ” Employees and investors have long been pushing for social and ecological standards to be met, he stressed. “A yes to the corporate responsibility initiative would be wrong,” said Novartis VRP. “If you reject the initiative, you are in no way against the observance of human rights and the protection of the environment in these countries,” explained the manager. Reinhardt advocates for the adoption of the Federal Council’s counterproposal in the November 29 vote. This was formulated with a certain sense of proportion, he said. Cement giant LafargeHolcim chairman of the board of directors Beat Hess said in connection with the group responsibility initiative in relation to the “SonntagsBlick” that his company not only reacted to complaints that were made public. “We are constantly investing in environmentally friendly forms of production to guarantee the protection of people and nature,” he emphasized. Additionally, Hess is very concerned that a responsible court in Rapperswil-Jona, where LafargeHolcim is based, will suddenly have to judge whether the company has damaged the environment or violated human rights in Nigeria, for example.
New hypothesis for the JU-Air accident
According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, there is a new hypothesis for the crash of the JU-Air machine, which at the same time contradicts the expert report on the cause of the crash. Renowned aviation engineer Peter Frei harshly criticizes the safety investigation body (Sust). Describes the draft of the report from the authorities, which investigated the Ju-52 accident in August 2018 in Piz Segnas with 20 deaths, as biased. Frei denied that the old machine hit the ground vertically due to pilot errors. The prewar plane flew with a center of gravity that was too far back, Frei told the newspaper. At Martinsloch, passengers would have moved back from their seats in order to take better pictures. The expert suspects that a strong gust made the aircraft inoperable for the two pilots.
Deferral of the HVF increase
According to the “NZZ am Sonntag”, the federal government is postponing the planned increase of the heavy vehicle tax (LSVA) for older trucks with high polluting emissions. Based on the current state of affairs, the adjustment would not be implemented in January 2021, the Federal Office of Transportation wrote to the newspaper. The reasons for this are, on the one hand, the situation of the coronavirus; on the other hand, there are concerns from some EU countries. Austria, in particular, fears that higher prices for transit traffic in Switzerland could divert trucks onto its own roads. Therefore, before the decision, the matter should be discussed again with the EU, he said. The federal government has signaled to the transportation industry that the planned increase in the price of HVF for trucks in the Euro 4 and Euro 5 emission class could now be implemented in mid-2021.
Attack with explosives on an arms company
After an explosive attack on the Thales arms company in Zurich, the company made its first statement to the “SonntagsZeitung” about the incident. The company confirmed to the newspaper that the explosives had been detonated in its mailbox compartment. There were no injuries. However, the mailbox system and the cars parked next to it suffered significant property damage, he said. According to Thales, there are no video footage of the incident. Furthermore, no confession letter has been received so far. The Paris-based arms company employs about 80,000 people worldwide, including about 550 in Switzerland. The Swiss branch develops, among other things, communication systems for the Swiss army. The Zurich city police decided not to release a statement about the incident, as a spokesperson told the newspaper. Swissmem director Stefan Brupbacher made the incident public on Friday night on the “Arena” television program.
