The City of Zug's Building Department invites input to the second phase of the development concept which is currently in planning.  If you live, work or attend classes in the city of Zug, please click the link on this web page to provide your input by 30 April. The survey is available in both English and German.  Participants can win one of 10 Pro Zug vouchers worth CHF 100 each.

In view of the resurgence of CoViD-19 cases, we are holding our Stammtisch virtually. Please consult our calendar for the latest information. To prevent unauthorized eavesdropping, you will need an authorization code to join, which will be distributed in our President's weekly e-mail bulletin.  If you aren't yet on our mailing list, just contact any board member. 

On Wednesday, April 14th, the Federal Council announced a significant relaxation of the pandemic-related restrictions, effective Monday, April  19th.  The Kanton of Zug has published a summary of the changes here.  Here is some further information (in German) about the local response to CoViD from the Zug Health Dept.  The Federal regulations and recommendations can be found here.  Please note changes in restrictions that apply to those arriving from other countries. The Federal Council also announced on Wednesday, April 21st a three-phase program for phasing out pandemic countermeasures.  A synopsis in English can be found at the bottom of this page, as well as a link to more detailed information in German.

The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has also launched a website summarizing the recent statistics. An overview of the current measures and a list of FAQ are posted here.  

In view of the increasing incidence of serious CoViD illness among younger people, the Kanton of Zug is now offering vaccination to all above the age of 45.  You can read the details here, and you can register for vaccination here.  A few family doctors (GPs) in Kanton Zug are also vaccinating against CoViD-19. Contact your physician for information. 

Two vaccines have received temporary approval for use in Switzerland.   The New England Journal  of Medicine (NEJM) has published answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the available vaccines.  It is possible that the seasonal flu vaccine will provide some cross-immunity, particularly for those who have received the vaccine annually over a long period of time.

Kanton Zug is now testing school children regularly, and the federal government is funding CoViD testing for anyone who wants to be tested effective Monday, 15 March.  You can be tested at the Andreas Clinic in Cham, at the Zuger Kantonsspital in Baar or at one of  the following pharmacies, but an appointment must be reserved in advance.

• Apotheke Drogerie Moll in Steinhausen
  Tests in tents in the north garage P4 of the Zugerland shopping center Reserve an appointment at www.covidtestcenter.ch
• Amavita Apotheke Zug
  Tests in a container behind the pharmacy on the Bundesplatz
  Reserve an appointment by phone (058 878 24 50)
• Arkadenhof Apotheke Rotkreuz
  Reserve an appointment by phone (041 790 88 14)
  

You can also get up to 5 self-test kits per month, free of charge, at almost any pharmacy.  However, the demand has been high, so it is a good idea to call your preferred pharmacy in advance to make sure they have stock before going by to pick them up.

The Canton of Zug has established central coordination for those needing help owing to the pandemic.  For further information, please see this brochure or this article in Zug4You.  The Fachstelle Migration Zug (FMZ) also has a list of sources of information about the Swiss federal government's measures against CoViD-19.

For the latest news and authoritative information on CoViD-19, please consult the websites of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the World Health Organization (WHO).  COVID-19 Information for Switzerland has excellent visualizations of the latest available data for Switzerland.  Another good source of statistics for Switzerland is this page from the Tages-Anzeiger, which is updated daily.  A good source of visualizations of international data is Our World in Data.

Many misconceptions about the virus and measures against it are in circulation.  Please refer to the WHO Myth-Busters page and the Wikipedia page, "COVID-19 misinformation" for details.  The independent British fact-checker is also a good source of verified information about CoViD-19 / SARS-CoV2.  Their website includes some good tips for assessing the veracity of information yourself.

Enterprises founded since Jan. 1st 2017 can apply for consideration in the contest for the Zuger Jungunternehmer Preis 2021 up to April 4th 2021.  Eight finalists will be invited to present their businesses in the Dreiklang Zentrum Steinhausen on May 27th, starting at 17:00.  Prize winners will be awarded prizes of CHF 5'000, CHF 2'000 and CHF 1'000 sponsored by the Technology Forum Zug (tfz). Contestants can also win a prize sponsored by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC). Even those who do not win a prize will profit from the media attention.  The application form (in German) can be found here.

Here is some year-end news from Zug's Department of Economic Affairs.

Zug Tourism is offering traditional local seasonal gifts, such as Zuger Kirsch, cherrystone cushions or gift baskets of local products in their webshop at a 10% discount until Dec. 15th 2020.  Just use the voucher code "Christmas" when ordering.

Residents of Canton Zug with an annual income of less than CHF 120,000 (according to salary certificate/s) who don't own stocks, shares or have complex financial asset structures can get their tax returns completed at the Fachstelle Migration Zug for a modest fee.   Please see the FMZ website for further information, including suggestions for those who don't meet the FMZ criteria.