Thursday marked the first time Germany reported more than 60,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day. Merkel, the outgoing German chancellor, said the "dramatic" situation was the result of the fourth wave "hitting our country with full force."Although Germany's vaccination rate surpasses that of the U.S., which is currently 58.9 percent per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it has one of the lowest vaccination rates in western Europe.
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GENEVA (AP) — Like many others in Europe, Switzerland is facing a steep rise in coronavirus cases. But its federal government, unlike others, hasn’t responded with new restrictive measures. Analysts say it doesn't want to stir up more opposition to its anti-COVID-19 policies, which face a crucial test at the ballot box this weekend as critics have grown increasingly loud.
On Sunday, as part of the country’s regular referendums, Swiss voters will cast ballots about the so-called “COVID-19 law” that has unlocked billions of Swiss francs (dollars) in aid for workers and businesses hit by the pandemic. The law has also imposed the use of a special COVID certificate that lets only people who have been vaccinated, recovered, or tested negative attend public events and gatherings.
VIENNA (AP) — Austrians were enjoying a last day out in coffeehouses and at Christmas markets Sunday before the government imposes a nationwide lockdown to combat a growing fourth wave of coronavirus infections. The measures, which take effect Monday and are expected to last for a maximum of 20 days but will be reevaluated after 10, require people to stay home apart from basic reasons like getting groceries, going to the doctor and exercising. © Provided by Associated Press People sit at an outdoor cafe on a street decorated with Christmas lights in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021.
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If the Swiss give a thumbs-up, the government may well ratchet up its anti-COVID efforts.
An image of a 1991 gathering in Moscow has been misrepresented on social media as a protest in Vienna against COVID-19 restrictions.When Austria, announced on Nov. 19 that it would impose a nationwide lockdown and mandate COVID-19 vaccinations to prevent a fifth wave of the pandemic, a photo of a large outdoor gathering went viral on Facebook.
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The vote offers a relatively rare bellwether of public opinion specifically on the issue of government policy to fight the coronavirus in Europe, the global epicenter of the pandemic. The continent enjoys relatively high rates of vaccination compared with countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, but has been nearly alone in facing a surge in cases in recent weeks.
Polls suggest a solid majority of Swiss will approve the measure, which is already in effect and the rejection of which would end the restrictions — as well as the payouts. But in recent weeks, opponents have raised heaps of cash for their campaign and drawn support from abroad, including a visit from American anti-vaccination campaigner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to a rally in the capital, Bern, this month.
Swiss weekly NZZ am Sonntag reported that campaigners have sent hundreds of petitions to government offices around the country alleging that the language in the referendum question is vague and makes no mention of the “COVID certificate” that affords access to places like restaurants and sporting events.
Of Austria's population of 8.9 million people, roughly 66 percent are vaccinated as a smaller but expressive minority of residents refuse to get the shots. The new lockdown restrictions allow people to leave their homes only for specific reasons like grocery shopping and exercising. Though parents were asked to keep their children home when possible, kindergartens and schools are remaining open, according to AP.
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On Tuesday, Swiss health authorities warned of a rising “fifth wave” in the rich Alpine country, where vaccination rates are roughly in line with those in hard-hit Austria and Germany — at about two-thirds of the population. Infection rates have soared in recent weeks. The seven-day average case count in Switzerland shot up to more than 5,200 per day from mid-October to mid-November, a more than five-fold increase — with an upward curve like those in neighboring Germany and Austria.
Austria has responded with a much-ballyhooed lockdown, and Germany — which is forming a new government as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s tenure nears its end — has taken some steps like requiring workers to provide their employers with proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test set to take effect next week.
The Swiss Federal Council, the seven-member executive branch, went out of its way on Wednesday to say: “It’s not the time to decree a tightening of measures nationwide,” while opting for a region-by-region approach and calling on citizens to act responsibly through mask-wearing, physical distancing, and proper airing of indoor areas.
Sunday's referendum is held in a country with one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe. Now, Covid-19 infections are rising exponentially, with case numbers rising by 40% to 50% each week. So is the health minister planning new restrictions, like neighbouring Germany, or even making vaccination mandatory, like Austria?Not a bit of it. In fact, on Sunday, Switzerland votes on getting rid of some Covid restrictions altogether.
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That's even though the council admitted in a statement that cases — particularly among the young — are rising and “the number of daily infections has reached a record for the year and the exponential rise is continuing.” Hospitalizations — notably among the elderly — are rising too, it said, but not as fast.
Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset has insisted his government hasn’t tightened restrictions because COVID-19 patients still make up only a small percentage of people in intensive-care units.
“But we also know that the number of hospitalizations lags behind the number of infections,” said Pascal Sciarini, a political scientist at the University of Geneva. “One can imagine that if Switzerland didn’t have this particular event — the vote on Sunday — we’d already be preparing (the) next steps.”
People in Switzerland will vote on Sunday on the government's health measures against Covid-19, in the wake of a large increase in new cases this month. © Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images A protester attends a rally against coronavirus measures, the Covid-19 health pass and vaccination in Geneva on October 9, 2021. Voters will have their say on the modifications of a previous Covid law, which were adopted by the Swiss Parliament last March.
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The Swiss council may simply be holding its breath through the weekend, he suggested.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if as early as next week, the tone changes,” Scarini said. “It’s starting to budge … the Federal Council is surely going to wait until after the referendum.”
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Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Austrian lockdown extended through Dec 11 as planned .
BERLIN (AP) — Austria's lockdown has officially been extended until Dec. 11 as planned amid signs that the measures are helping to bring down a sky-high coronavirus infection rate. A parliamentary committee signed off Tuesday on the extension of the country's fourth national lockdown of the pandemic, which started on Nov. 22, the Austria Press Agency reported. That was necessary because some lockdown measures can only be ordered for 10 days at a time. © Provided by Associated Press Virus Outbreak Austria There is one significant change: essential shops that so far were allowed to open until 9 p.m. will have to close by 7 p.m. starting Thursday.