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| Swiss government to compensate SARS－affected companies |
| CCTV.COM 2003-05-09 10:05:05 |
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Swiss companies forced to cut operations because of the threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome （SARS） are to receive financial compensations from the government, Swiss Radio International reported on Thursday.
Cantonal governments have been instructed to make up part of the wages lost by staff whose working hours are reduced, the report said.
Under the plan, firms will have to prove that the SARS threat has led to a drop in their orders and work to qualify for the compensation.
Swiss civil aviation and tourism are among the sectors hit by the global health crisis, the report said.
Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said the introduction of the "short time" employment benefit was designed to prevent companies from sacking staff due to external and temporary economic reasons.
On Thursday, the Federal Health Office tightened measures to prevent SARS from spreading across Switzerland.
Passengers arriving at Zurich and Geneva airports from SARS－affected countries now have to register with medical authorities as a precaution recommended by the World Health Organization （WHO）.
A total of 7,053 SARS cases with 506 deaths had been reported from 29 countries by Thursday, and there was one SARS case in Switzerland, according to the world health body.
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Editor: Yang Feiyang Source:Xinhua
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