Fri, Apr 1st 2022
UN releases World Happiness Report, Swiss cheese consumption and more in our roundup of Swiss news from March 28-April 1.
Hackers target Swiss medical clinics
Cyber hackers attacked two medical clinics in the canton of Neuchâtel this week, local police reported. On Tuesday, the hackers threatened to publish personal patient data on the darknet if ransoms were not paid. The hackers created an online countdown ticking down the hours until Thursday, when 43,651 medical files were disseminated on the darknet. Thousands of Swiss residents have were affected, but their files have since vanished online. Read more.
Keeping Swiss culture alive, like the tradition of bringing cows down from the mountains at the end of summer, is one of the keys to Swiss happiness.
Switzerland ranked fifth in World Happiness Report
The United Nations recently released its “World Happiness Report” for 2022, ranking Switzerland the fifth happiest country. Of the 149 countries the UN has studied over the last decade, rankings have shifted based on many factors such as natural disasters, changes in leadership and more recently, how countries handled the Covid-19 pandemic. The countries taking the top spots on the report have remained unchanged since the first report in 2012: Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The Alpine nation ranked #1 in 2012. Read more.
Switzerland drops all Covid restrictions
Switzerland today lifted all of its Covid-19 restrictions, meaning that life in the Alpine nation now appears as it did before the coronavirus pandemic arrived more than two years ago. Masks are no longer required anywhere, including on public transportation. Moreover, those who test positive for Covid-19 will not be required to self-isolate for five days. The decision was made because over the last week, Switzerland has seen a nearly 40% decrease in new cases and hospitals are “stable,” government officials said. Read more.
The most iconic main course of Switzerland, the fondue, hides several secrets to health and longevity.
Cheese consumption up in Switzerland
Swiss residents ate slightly more cheese in 2021 than in the year before, according to a report published this week. The Swiss ate roughly 23.17 kilograms of cheese per person last year, or 203,896 tons overall. The most popular cheeses were Switzerland’s own raclette and fondue – accounting for about 25% of cheese consumption. About 63% of the cheese consumed in Switzerland in 2021 was produced locally. Studies show that Swiss cheese is actually healthy, thanks to the “Alpine Paradox.” Read more.
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