Seven out of ten Swiss people would like to see face marks made compulsory for public indoor spaces, according to a survey. But some respondents were sceptical about having a vaccination against Covid-19.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Migros/swissinfo.ch/ilj
Español
es
Escepticismo en torno a vacunación contra coronavirus
The poll, carried out mid-September for Migros-Magazin and published on FridayExternal link, found that 68% of the 1,031 people surveyed were in favour of wearing masks in public closed spaces. However, 67% said they found cantonal differences on the issue confusing.
Face masks are mandatory on Swiss public transport, air flights and at Basel and Geneva airports. Nine cantons (Zurich, Vaud, Geneva, Basel City, Valais, Neuchâtel, Fribourg, Solothurn and Jura) have made face masks mandatory in shops. Canton Vaud is the only one to have made them mandatory in all public closed spaces.
Scepticism
When it came to being vaccinated against the coronavirus, it was another story. Only 41% said they would get the jab as soon as the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) gave the green light. Scepticism was particularly high among 30- to 45-year-old men, Migros-Magazin reported.
Around half of those surveyed thought the federal authorities had done a good job and reacted in the right way to the pandemic. Around 20% thought officials had overreacted.
The FOPH has come in for criticism for confusion over its Covid-19 data.
More
More
Media slam ‘Federal Office of Cock-ups’ for Covid data confusion
This content was published on
Swiss newspapers have not minced their words after the health office got its numbers seriously wrong about the source of coronavirus infections.
Around 28% said they thought democratic rights were at risk. And only one in five felt that the crisis would soon be over.
Commenting on the results for Migros-Magazin, Basel sociology professor Oliver Nachtwey said there were some positive signals, like the large acceptance of masks. But scepticism over the vaccine was more concerning.
“There is a not-to-be-underestimated part of the population that feels extremely uncertain and distrusts the official explanations of the authorities,” he said.
The survey comes as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise. A poll conducted for the FOPH published at the end of August found widespread acceptance of masks in public transport and 60% of people in favour of wearing them in shops. Only 33% wanted to wear masks to work.
More
More
Swiss warm to masks in the tram but not in the office
This content was published on
Survey: mask wearing more accepted since the introduction of obligatory mask wearing on public transport, but not everywhere.
What measures have been taken to prevent floods in your area?
Have you ever experienced a flood event? Have you witnessed a significant increase in flooding where you live? What measures have been taken in your country to prevent recurrent flooding? Are these measures effective?
Switzerland condemns attempted military coup in Bolivia
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry condemned the attempted coup, as well as any attempt to undermine the lawful government of Bolivia.
Gotthard Base Tunnel on track to fully re-open in September
This content was published on
Rail operations through the vital tunnel will resume in full on September 2, with repair work in the west tube going as planned, Swiss Federal Railways has said.
Swiss Broadcasting Corporation to pull plug on FM radio
This content was published on
Amid a shift to digital and online radio, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation will switch off analogue FM transmitters at the end of December.
Bern and Biel/Bienne enter the Swiss race to host Eurovision 2025
This content was published on
Swiss cities are jostling to host next year's Eurovision Song Contest (ESC): Geneva, Basel, Zurich, and a Bern-Biel joint bid have all thrown their hat in the ring.
Overnight earthquake in Germany felt in large areas of Switzerland
This content was published on
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 on the Richter scale was felt throughout Switzerland during the early hours of Thursday.
Swiss government rejects right-wing population cap initiative
This content was published on
The Federal Council is against a proposal to cap the country’s population at 10 million, saying it jeopardises economic growth and security.
Equality not achieved in Switzerland according to the Federal Council
This content was published on
Equality between women and men has not yet been achieved in Switzerland. But the targeted promotion of gender equality represents significant progress.
Most Swiss want insurance to cover Covid-19 vaccination
This content was published on
A survey has revealed Swiss public opinion on vaccination and whether to punish those who don’t comply with coronavirus pandemic measures.
This content was published on
Three-fifths of respondents in a nationwide survey have said they are in favour of the mandatory wearing of protective masks in public.
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.