Swiss restaurants are experiencing a second, and in some cases third shutdown in a year owing to the pandemic.
Keystone / Urs Flueeler
Half of all hotel and restaurant businesses in Switzerland will go bankrupt by the end of March if they do not receive immediate financial compensation for the effects of coronavirus restrictions, warns the sector’s umbrella organisation.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/jc
Português
pt
Restaurantes fechados pela pandemia exigem ‘compensação já!’
Based on a survey of more than 4,000 of its members, GastroSuisse says 98% of its members need support, and that “with each wave of coronavirus comes a wave of redundancies”.
“In November and December, there was a second wave of redundancies in the hotel and catering industry,” it said in a press releaseExternal link on Sunday. Almost 60% of businesses that laid off staff during the year had to do so again at the end of 2020, according to GastroSuisse. “So it is up to the federal government to avert a countrywide disaster and a third wave of job losses in the hotel and restaurant sector.”
GastroSuisse says it rightly warned in October that 100,000 jobs were at risk. “In the last months, the situation has again worsened particularly because of the government’s incomprehensible decision to close restaurants.”
After the first shutdown in spring 2020, all restaurants across Switzerland have again been closed since December 22. Initially announced for a month, the federal government is now considering extending the shutdown until March, with an announcement expected on January 13. It is also expected to announce new measures to help cushion the economic effects on affected sectors, which also include sports and cultural facilities.
Although the federal government has provided economic assistance to cushion the effects of its coronavirus measures, many operators, especially small businesses, complain that the process is slow and bureaucratic, and the aid not enough.
More
More
Hundreds protest over restaurant closures
This content was published on
Up to 600 restaurant owners have protested in the western Swiss city of Neuchâtel in anger their shutdown.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss police officer dismissed after Hitler salute at WEF
This content was published on
An employee of the crisis-ridden cantonal police force of Basel City has been dismissed after doing a Hitler salute at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
Myanmar earthquake: foreign ministry has no news on Swiss victims
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry is not yet aware of any Swiss nationals among the victims or those affected by the earthquake that struck central Myanmar.
Swiss military jet crash: air traffic controller found guilty
This content was published on
Over eight and a half years after the fatal F/A-18 military jet accident in Switzerland, an air traffic controller has been found guilty of negligent homicide by a military appeals court.
Viola Amherd hands over keys of Swiss defence ministry to Martin Pfister
This content was published on
On Friday, the new Swiss government minister Martin Pfister was symbolically presented with the keys to the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport by outgoing minister Viola Amherd.
PostFinance cancels accounts of customers with Cuba links
This content was published on
The financial services arm of the Swiss post office, PostFinance, has cancelled the accounts of several customers with links to Cuba as a consequence of US sanctions against the Caribbean island state.
Basel cannabis study reports improvements in smokers’ mental health
This content was published on
After two years, a legal recreational cannabis study known as "Weedcare", carried out in Basel in northwestern Switzerland, has been given a positive assessment.
New anti-corona measures: restaurants closed, ski areas open
This content was published on
Switzerland to close restaurants, bars for a month from Tuesday to curb the spread of the coronavirus, ski areas remain open, the government says.
This content was published on
Canton Geneva will enter a state of semi-confinement from 7pm on Monday. Bars, restaurants and non-essential shops will be closed.
Switzerland imposes early closing time for bars and restaurants
This content was published on
The government is also extending a mask-wearing obligation as part of new wide-ranging measures to fight the second wave of Covid-19.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.