Swiss health officials do not foresee a risk of hantavirus epidemic; health insurance premiums to rise further in 2027; plus other stories in our roundup this Wednesday.
Swiss health officials do not foresee a risk of hantavirus epidemic
To date, one person with hantavirus is hospitalised in Zurich, and four others are under observation.
Does this mean the virus is spreading to Switzerland?
Not according to Claudio Zaugg, head of the New Infectious Diseases section at the Federal Department of Public Health (FOPH).
“A few isolated cases appear regularly in our country,” he said. “This means we are not facing a new or unknown virus,” as was the case with Covid-19.
“We are therefore confident in our ability to control these cases,” he added.
Health insurance premiums are expected to rise further in 2027
The cost of the obligatory health insurance takes a huge chunk out of households’ incomes, especially as it has been increasing for several years.
2027 will be no different, according to a study that Comparis consumer platform published on Tuesday.
Based on its analysis of various costs, it if forecasting a 3.7-percent hike which, while considerable, is less of an increase than in 2026, when premiums went up by 4.4 percent on average.
The government will release definite rates for 2027 in September.
More businesses in Basel-City found to be underpaying employees
Basel-City is one of five Swiss cantons that has a minimum wage in place – in 2026, it is 22.20 francs an hour.
However, its Office for Economy and Labour (AWA) found that in 2025 almost 15 percent of all inspected companies were paying their employees below the statuary minimum wage, it announced on Tuesday.
That is 2 percent more than during the previous year.
The total amount of detected cases of wage underpayment rose significantly from 19,458 to 88,417 francs. The primary reason for this increase, according to AWA, is that the canton conducted inspections at larger companies with a correspondingly higher number of affected employees.
Driving aptitude test for seniors is called into question
In Switzerland, anyone over the age of 75 who wants to continue driving must undergo an aptitude test with a doctor every two years
However, a new study carried out by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) found that the current practice is fragmented and varies depending on the canton, language region, and professional group responsible for testing.
This lack of standardisation in the testing procedures means “there is currently no fair, reliable, and scientifically based assessment of driving aptitude in Switzerland,” said the study’s leader, Brigitte Gantschnig.
Emphasis should therefore be on introducing “a harmonised process and clear rules across Switzerland,” she added.
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