Yesterday was voting day and the results were a disappointment for the government, as 3 of the 4 initiatives ended with the opposite result wished for by the federal council. The lifting of the stamp duty for businesses and the financial help for the media were both rejected and the end of tobacco advertising for youths was accepted, all in contradiction to what the government had recommended. Only the banning of animal experimentation initiative being rejected was in alignement with the government’s wishes. In Lucerne the financial aid for the hospital was voted in, but the underground bicyle parking was rejected, meaning that an alternate solution will need to be found for the bike parking problem around the train station.
Two experienced skiers died in an avalanche around Sachseln yesterday. Although the avalanche risk was relatively moderate, they were caught by a large avalanche overhead and died of their injuries in hospital.
Should the number of cases continue to go down (currently at -30% compared to last week), it seems like the government will be announcing the lifting of corona measures on wednesday. Only masks would remain mandatory for certain areas such as public transport.
This would mean that Fasnacht would be going ahead in pretty much in its usual form. There currently is a rush for costumes and people are feverishly building their colourful themed wagons to parade through the streets of Lucerne. You can read an updated article on Fasnacht later today.
The Föhn wind is keeping the rain at bay for the time being, but expect rain and grey weather in the coming days.
