Climate activists have occupied the square in front of the parliament in Bern and plan to stay there for a full week in order to remind the government and parliament of the problems linked to climate change and the need for solutions. Technically it is forbidden to hold demonstrations in front of the parliament whilst it is in session, however the city of Berne doesn’t want to appear too heavy handed with a movement which garners a lot of sympathy nationally. It remains to be seen what will happen in the coming hours.
Switzerland is preparing for a winter season with a difference. The ski resorts already have their safety concepts up and running and they are counting on the Swiss to remain inland this ski season. They are also very much hoping that the government will authorise negative Covid-19 tests to replace quarantine so as to be able to attract tourists from abroad.
A full month before Switzerland registered its first official Coronavirus patient, a group of tourists from Wuhan overnighted in Sursee and then took the Golden Pass Line from Luzern to Interlaken. They then went onto Paris where one of the woman visited a doctor because she had flu like symptom. She was diagnosed with the Covid-19 virus upon her return to China along with four other members of her group and the Parisian doctor became one of the first coronavirus patients in France. Luckily noone in Central Switzerland was infected by this group of tourists. A close call.
