First the good news, it seems very probable that today the government will announce that the duration of quarantine will be reduced to 5 days. However the forecast is that in the coming weeks between 10 and 30% of the population will be getting the Omicron variant, meaning that up to 15% of the working population will need to go into isolation. The government is asking cantons to look into measures to help hospitals deal with the forecasted incoming of patients with complications from the variant. Although the variant seems to be mild for the majority of vaccinated people, the sheer volume of people getting the infection will lead to a surge in hospital admissions all the same.
The car dealership Emil Frey, one of the largest in the country, fell victim to a cyber attack yesterday. It is one in a long list of companies who are currently been targeted and asked for ransom money. Last week it was one of the biggest print paper delivery company which was targeted, leading to a shortage of paper for other smaller printing companies.
Two 14 year old boys, set fire to various garbage bins in Lucerne in November and December. When questioned by the police why they did it, they answered that they were bored.
Taxi drivers have really been struggling to make a living in the past couple of years. Whereas a driver would have an average of 25 rides a day, nowadays they are lucky if they get up to 5 a day. Although the pandemic is the main reason for this problem, the arrival of Uber in Switzerland has also meant that taxis are seeing clients chosing a different way of getting their ride. Uber is facing an uncertain future in Switzerland as there is an ever stronger call for them to employ the drivers, or as Geneva has done, are facing being banned from offering their services in various cantons.
