Surveillance programme for new Covid-19 variants approved
Keystone / Sebastian Gollnow
The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has approved the establishment of a national genomic surveillance programme for new Covid-19 variants.
The nationwide surveillance programme will help to monitor the evolution of the various variants and to assess the risk of the emergence of vaccine-resistant strains, the FOPH said on Friday.
Nearly 2,000 positive samples will be tested each week, a number that is likely to change depending on the epidemiological situation. The objective is to rapidly identify the variants of concern, their possible importation by travellers and their distribution throughout the country.
The programme, which also includes wastewater surveillance, is scheduled to run until March 31, 2022.
The Swiss National reference laboratory for emerging viral infections, the Federal Institutes of Technology, other university and private laboratories, the NextStrain platform and the Covid-19 scientific task force are collaborating on the project.
The strategy is based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the project is financed by the FOPH.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Gold-digging: why some Swiss bury their wealth in the garden
This content was published on
The "Dubai chocolate" has also caused a rush in Switzerland: queues formed outside the Lindt chocolate factory in Kilchberg, canton Zurich, on Saturday morning.
This content was published on
Stargazers currently have the chance to spot shooting stars in the night sky. Until November 30, the Leonid meteor shower is lighting up the darkness.
Nationalisation suggested to save Red Cross Museum
This content was published on
The director of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum in Geneva is calling for a national debate on the institution's future.
Climate: 224 Swiss companies announce CO2 reduction targets
This content was published on
A total of 224 companies from Switzerland have joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), committing to CO2 reduction targets that are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Swiss political class divided over reform of EU asylum pact
This content was published on
As a result of the EU's Migration and Asylum Pact, Switzerland must adapt five laws linked to the Schengen/Dublin agreements.
New Covid variants account for 70% of new infections in Switzerland
This content was published on
Despite a stagnation in the number of new infections, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has called for restraint and more testing.
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.