The measures Switzerland has taken to cope with the coronavirus pandemic has strengthened its global reputation, according to the head of the government body that promotes the country’s image abroad.
“Coronavirus has more or less had a positive effect on the image of the country,” he told the newspaper.
Bideau believes Switzerland’s reputation has been enhanced by its medical and technical innovation, political management and international cooperation in the last few weeks.
In particular, Switzerland has received good marks following the response from pharmaceutical and other industries to the pandemic. Bideau pointed to Roche’s serological testing breakthrough and the development of a decentralised contact tracing app by the federal institutes of technology.
Switzerland has also attracted positive headlines for the way it has handled the crisis politically, said Bideau. Cooperation with other countries has extended to Swiss hospitals treating patients from neighbouring countries, dispelling the Swiss image of insularity, he added.
In addition, a number of positive anecdotal stories from Switzerland have been well received by people in other countries, Bideau said. These included Roger Federer’s tennis challenge and international press coverage of Switzerland’s forest walking trials.
“These small stories may not look much but they have a big impact,” he said.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Sylvain Saudan, ‘skier of the impossible’, dies aged 87
This content was published on
The Swiss father of extreme skiing pioneered descents from the Alps to the Himalayas – and became the sport’s first star.
Hayek family buys additional Swatch shares for nearly CHF11 million
This content was published on
Following the acquisition of registered shares worth over CHF20.6 million on Monday, the Hayek family made another purchase on Tuesday.
Suicide capsule to be used in Switzerland this year, says euthanasia organisation
This content was published on
The organisation “The Last Resort” has confirmed that the suicide capsule Sarco is to be used in Switzerland. This should happen this year, it said.
Ukrainian children flown to Switzerland for cancer treatment
This content was published on
The Swiss air rescue service Rega flew two Ukrainian children with cancer to Switzerland from a hospital in Kyiv hit by Russian missiles.
Swiss Solidarity raises over CHF10 million for victims of extreme weather
This content was published on
The money raised will be used to help those affected by the recent storms and flooding in the cantons of Ticino, Graubünden, and Valais.
Swiss giant Roche given green light for lung cancer drug in Canada
This content was published on
According to a recent study, Roche’s Alecensaro reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 76% compared to chemotherapy alone.
Swiss luxury watch market hit hard by China-led slump
This content was published on
Sales of Swiss-made luxury watches are in sharp retreat as nervous consumers reconsider splashing out on expensive timepieces and demand slumps.
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.
Read more
More
Contact tracing app ready this month, says expert
This content was published on
Marcel Salathé, who heads the expert group on digital epidemiology, told a press conference on Friday that the system being developed for Switzerland has met interest from Google and Apple but gave reassurances as to user privacy. It will be offered by the Swiss federal government as an App that people can download on a…
United States regulator approves Roche’s Covid-19 antibody test
This content was published on
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given emergency approval for use of the serological test developed by the Swiss pharma giant.
Coronavirus: good French-Swiss relations mobilise to save lives
This content was published on
Cross-border solidarity is proving particularly valuable in the era of the pandemic: about 50 French patients are now being treated in Switzerland.
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.