Consul General Peter Zimmerli. ©FDFA

Dear compatriots and friends of Switzerland,

I hope that this newsletter finds you and your family in good health. Since the beginning of the year, the coronavirus has influenced and changed our lives. We have seen strange things happening: Toilet paper was hoarded, pasta passed over the counter in large quantities, and disinfectants are almost only available under the table. The virus is rocking the world, and we wonder when it will stop. When will we see the long awaited revival of community?

While we are waiting for the answer to this question, we all have had to adapt our ways of working and operating. The crisis forces us to look for new solutions and to think creatively. This is true for our consular services as well as for our public diplomacy events, as you will find out reading this newsletter.

Switzerland just celebrated its 729th anniversary. Instead of gathering the community around grilled bratwursts and cervelats, we had to find a way to bring the Swiss citizens abroad together in a virtual way. Check out how the Swiss clubs in the South celebrated this year's National Day.

The pandemic has also changed the way we do business. The Swiss Business Hub had to quickly redesign a planned conference in Florida and move it to the virtual space. This is an example of how the Swiss business community is responding to the crisis situation with new ideas and innovative solutions.

If you are traveling to Switzerland this summer, a 10-day quarantine is waiting for you. While Switzerland is opening up slowly and travel within Europe has become possible again, restrictions still apply for travelers from certain areas.

The necessary measures to contain COVID-19 have also had implications on political rights in Switzerland. The Federal Council decided to postpone the popular vote planned for May 17, 2020 until September 27, 2020. Due to the inability for people to meet in person, an actual voting campaign could not take place which prevented voters from forming an informed opinion. This is the second postponement in history: In 1951, the Federal Council cancelled an entire ballot because foot-and-mouth disease didn't allow the holding of votes in several cantons.

We all are learning constantly, and I am sure that we will emerge stronger from this crisis. We will adapt better to the circumstances and be more flexible in dealing with change. For the time being, be creative and stay safe!

Peter Zimmerli
Consul General

This year's Swiss Peer to Peer Conference will be held digitally.

The Swiss Peer to Peer Conference organized by the Swiss Business Hub USA is being held digitally this year and is more relevant than ever with discussions concerning solutions for doing business in a post-Covid-19 world. The event will provide the ideal occasion to network and strengthen the Swiss business community in the United States in these uncertain times by bringing together key stakeholders in both the U.S. and Switzerland. The target audience is executives of Swiss companies, Swiss people working as executives in the U.S., subsidiaries of Swiss companies in the U.S. and U.S. companies representing Swiss companies in the U.S. Besides insightful discussions from panelists from the Swiss government and Swiss companies at various stages of their presence in the U.S., there will also be an online networking app where you can organize your own one-on-one virtual meetings with the various participants. The cost of participation is $75 per person (non-Switzerland Global Enterprise members) and $50 per person (Switzerland Global Enterprise members).

For more program details and to register click here .

New dividing wall in the waiting area of the Consulate General. ©FDFA

In the last five months, our office staff and their work processes have been strongly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the number of cases are still at a very high level without significant improvement for the upcoming months. In order to continue to safeguard the health and safety of both our staff and visitors, the Consulate General is adapting to the constantly changing situation on the ground by analyzing and steadfastly following the guidelines of the local authorities, the WHO, CDC, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.

Social distancing, limited appointments for clients, hand sanitizers, and the daily cleaning protocol of critical surfaces are still our most effective tools and measures to reduce possible infections with COVID-19. In addition, the waiting area was equipped with a partition wall in order to keep a safe distance between our customers. Our staff continues to work with a split team arrangement where one team works in the office while the other team works at home. No third parties have entered our offices for months with the exception of essential building personnel.

Thankfully, nearly all of the stranded Swiss tourists were able to return to Switzerland over the last months. However, the challenge remains for our staff to cope with the changes and number of inquiries regarding the border closings and the current visa regulations.

The Swiss Federal Government decided that no tourism or business visas are to be issued, the exception being so-called hardship cases or visa applications for essential staff. On a positive note, the rules regarding students and family reunification visa requests have relaxed. Students are again able to apply for visas to commence their planned studies and future expats can apply for a visa for a pre-arranged move to Switzerland.

Consular services that can be completed by correspondence such as registering Swiss citizens and processing documents (e.g. birth or marriage certificates) continue just as before. As soon as it is safely possible, we will open more appointment options for our passport customers. In the meantime, please continue to monitor our website where important changes will be announced.

Traveler with mask at the airport in Zurich. ©Anna Shvets

Since mid-June, the number of new cases of coronavirus has been rising again in Switzerland. Consequently, travelers (including Swiss citizens!) entering Switzerland from high-risk countries such as the United States are required to quarantine for ten days. The FOPH has a list of the affected countries, which it updates regularly. Travelers will be notified during the flight and at border crossings. They will have to register with the cantonal authorities upon arrival.

Lugano © Milo Zanecchia

In light of the exceptional situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainties it creates, the Organization of the Swiss Abroad has decided, with a heavy heart, to cancel this year's Congress of the Swiss Abroad and postpone it to next year. The next edition will take place from August 20-22, 2021 in Lugano. Registration for the 2021 Congress will open at the beginning of 2021.

Head of Chancery Adrian Sieber. ©FDFA

After just over three years – but earlier than expected and desired – our operations manager and head of chancery, Adrian Sieber, is leaving us in mid-September. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs decided to assign him new responsibilities in Istanbul. An important and exciting task is waiting for him.

During his time in Atlanta, Adrian's skills were particularly in demand and valued as a crisis manager. Hardly had he taken up his new job with us, when hurricane Harvey swept over Texas and caused great damage. Further hurricanes followed in Louisiana, Florida and in the Carolinas. In those moments, we appreciated his calm and prudence as well as his determination. His great experience has also benefited us during the coronavirus pandemic.

We appreciated Adrian Sieber as a valued, competent, and ever-helpful colleague. He will be truly missed. We wish him all the best for his new assignment in Turkey.

Honorary Consul Alexandra Mora.

Alexandra Erna Mora was appointed Honorary Consul of Switzerland for New Orleans in 2008. She was proud to follow in the footsteps of John Geiser, her predecessor, who served for 27 years.

Ms. Mora’s grandfather, Richard Theler immigrated from Ausserberg in the Valais after World War I to Argentina. There he taught German and Swiss German to the children in the village and continued to celebrate Swiss traditions instilling in his own children a pride in their Swiss heritage. Ms. Mora grew up in the United States, but has always maintained a strong connection with Switzerland. She graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with a minor in French. Later, she obtained her Juris Doctor from Tulane Law School, where she graduated cum laude.

Ms. Mora is a member of the Swiss Historical Society and the Swiss-American Society of New Orleans, which is celebrating 165 years. Supporting the Swiss Society, helping local Swiss people and businesses, and strengthening ties between Louisiana and Switzerland are her most important achievements as Honorary Consul. She is proud to continue to serve her community.

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