COVID-19 Response
29 January 2024
Dear Partners and Friends,
As the global situation surrounding Covid-19 continues to evolve positively, we believe it is time to shift our focus and – though new variants remain a concern – have made the decision to discontinue the regular Covid-19 updates on our website.
Covid-19 will persist, possibly with seasonal waves. We will of course remain vigilant and continue to monitor developments for possible changes in the future.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
14 November 2023
Dear Partners and Friends,
It’s this time of year again…..
As we are fast approaching the winter months, when seasonal flu and Covid-19 viruses are spreading, we are sticking to our golden rule: get vaccinated!
We all know that widespread vaccination remains the simplest and most effective way of preventing yourself and others from falling ill and controlling the spread of both the flu and Covid-19.
And although we probably won't have to repeat the rules of conduct after the experiences of recent years, we will do so anyway:
- Stay home if you feel sick
- Get tested if you have symptoms and stay at home until you get the result
- Follow the rules of "virus control": keep your distance, disinfect, decontaminate where appropriate
- If cases accumulate, minimize contacts outside your core team at work
- Wear a surgical mask if you could be contagious (flu, rhinovirus or Covid)
- Wear a FFP mask if you want to protect yourself from infection
Have a wonderful winter!
The IT'IS Foundation Team
02 April 2023
Dear Partners and Friends,
For the past year, the Swiss government has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in the country, and the number of new laboratory-confirmed COVID infections in Switzerland has declined significantly at this time.
In the longer term, the coronavirus is unlikely to disappear, and the number of infections could rise again during the cold season. However, at this stage, we have decided to put our regular updates on hold until further notice.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
11 January 2023
Dear Partners and Friends,
In recent weeks, the situation in Switzerland has improved, largely due to stronger immunity among the population. Nevertheless, it will be necessary to maintain a heightened level of vigilance and responsiveness in the coming months, and new regulations could be introduced in the short term, for example due to a new COVID-19 variant.
As usual, we will keep you updated.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
01 October 2022
Dear Partners and Friends,
We are already in the third fall of COVID-19, although this seems to have disappeared in the minds of most of us. Still, we will most likely see both a COVID-19 and flu wave in the coming months, and we will adjust our safety protocols as needed.
We continue to maintain all existing measures at Z43 to help prevent the spread. An updated bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine that is effective against both the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants will be available in Switzerland in late October.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
08 July 2022
Dear Partners and Friends,
Summer is here, but COVID-19 refuses to take a vacation.
Once again, coronavirus infection rates are on the rise due to the two new Omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5. Although most people have only mild symptoms when fully vaccinated, we must continue to do our part to prevent further spread in-house and especially protect those who are at higher risk of developing a more severe disease.
Our new guidelines came into force on July 1, 2022, and correspond to those implemented in Swiss hospitals. We also continue to do the obvious: open windows regularly and maintain good ventilation, clean all surfaces and provide disinfectant in all labs and offices.
We wish you a great summer!
The IT'IS Foundation Team
04 April 2022
Dear Partners and Friends,
Switzerland lifted the last remaining Covid-19 restrictions on April 1, 2022. However, the pandemic is far from over as daily cases are increasing in Switzerland due to several factors, including a relaxation of masking requirements, the emergence of the more contagious Omicron BA.2 variant, and increased social activities. Although the number of severe cases remains low, several recommendations remain in effect at Z43 and we ask for increased caution in our offices to ensure a safe and productive work environment.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
17 February 2022
Dear Partners and Friends,
As of today, Switzerland has lifted most of the Covid-19 restrictions. After two years of disruptions and limited face-to-face interaction, we are looking forward to moving from virtual back to more personal contact and reviving our culture of regularly sharing new ideas at the coffee bar or in the hallways. At the same time, we will continue our highly successful and proactive approach to ensuring the safety and health of all colleagues by keeping various measures in place while minimizing the impact on our flexibility and responsiveness.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
03 January 2022
Dear Partners and Friends,
As in most parts of Europe, the new Omicron variant is responsible for the majority of Covid-19 infections in Switzerland. To combat the increasing spread, we have partially re-introduced remote working at Z43. All existing hygiene measures and rules for wearing masks remain in place on site.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
27 September 2021
Dear Partners and Friends,
As expected, the number of newly reported coronavirus infections in Switzerland increased over the summer holidays and because of the rapid spread of the Delta variant, but cases are starting to decline again due to the improved vaccination coverage and new measures imposed by the Swiss government.
We finally have all returned to our work space with increased R&D efficiency. Nevertheless, we proceed with our new routine of mask-wearing, hygiene rules, good air circulation and frequent rapid tests when necessary. At the same time, we continue to be cautious and vigilant.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
21 June 2021
Dear Partners and Friends,
The summer has finally arrived in Zurich, vaccination is making great progress, and the Swiss government is easing its COVID-19 restrictions as infection rates stabilize. At Z43, we have put a plan in place to gradually welcome our colleagues back to the office, while keeping precautionary measures to keep everyone safe. For especially vulnerable Z43 colleagues, a remote work style is managed flexibly.
The health, safety and well-being of our colleagues is and remains our top priority. We continue to closely monitor the situation so we can react quickly if additional measures and/or changes become necessary.
We wish you a fun and safe summer!
The IT'IS Foundation Team
22 March 2021
Dear Partners and Friends,
Last Friday the Swiss government announced that it had postponed plans to further ease COVID-19 restrictions. The number of new infections has been rising again since late February, and a partial shutdown remains in place. Unfortunately, vaccination is only picking up slowly, but we remain optimistic that we can return to some version of normality in the coming months.
Rest assured that we will continue to provide the best possible service and support under these ongoing challenging circumstances, and that we will keep you informed of any delays that may occur.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
13 January 2021
Dear Partners and Friends,
In response to the continuously high COVID-19 infection rates in Switzerland, the government has announced new stringent safety measures to reduce the spread of the virus, effective Monday, January 18, 2021, until the end of February.
At Z43, we are already compliant with these new guidelines and directives since last November. However, we will continue to update these as appropriate to ensure the health and safety of our employees and to maintain business continuity with our customers and partners. We will also promote vaccination as soon as it becomes more widely available.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
24 November 2020
Dear Partners and Friends,
After our ten day shutdown at Z43, we are slowly opening up again to go back to business.
As colleagues are partly returning to the workplace, the main objective is to take all necessary precautions to safeguard the health of all and prevent any further spread of infection. A large part of the workforce will continue to work remotely. For colleagues on site, we have put in place additional measures across the work spaces, such as limiting the number of people working together at the same time, in addition to an enhanced level of cleaning, social distancing, and face covering enforcement.
We hope that we will manage to get through the pandemic without any further infections so that we can return to our normal work schedule as soon as possible. We will continue to update our partners regarding any delays that may occur in a timely manner; at the same time, we are working hard to keep these to an absolute minimum.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
14 November 2020
Dear Partners and Friends,
Zurich has been experiencing a spike in COVID-19 infections in the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, despite our precautionary measures, the virus did not stop at our doorstep and several team members at our headquarters have tested positive.
Although infections seem to be clustered to certain areas within the building, we have decided to immediately stop on-site operations in the entire building for at least 10 days to stop the spread.
The shutdown will inevitably disrupt our service deliveries, but we have taken, and will take, every possible measure to keep delays to an absolute minimum. Your IT'IS reference person will contact you in the next few days in case of a shifted timeline.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that may be caused by adjusting the deadlines. As we continue to navigate through the challenges posed by this pandemic, we thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this unpredictable and demanding time.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
17 October 2020
Dear Partners and Friends,
Europe has seen a huge surge in COVID-19 infections in recent days with case numbers in Switzerland being amongst the highest reported. Luckily, we mastered the first pandemic wave at Z43 very successfully. At this time, especially with the flu season approaching, it will once again be important to react swiftly and introduce new mitigation measures to prevent the virus from spreading to protect our colleagues, families, and loved ones.
As such, a partial remote work schedule has been reimposed at Z43 with the majority of colleagues working exclusively from home, while the others are working in alternating shifts to accomplish tasks that require laboratory work or access to hardware, etc.
We will further observe the development and instigate additional measures if necessary to help stopping the spread of the virus. In the meantime, we hope that all projects can be kept on track. In case of delays, we will contact the project partner immediately to discuss alternative solutions.
Be well. Be kind. Be safe.
The IT'IS Foundation Team
06 August 2020
Dear Partners and Friends,
In the last couple of months there has been a considerable rise in new cases of COVID-19 in Switzerland and across Europe.
At Z43 we continue to take a cautious approach and strictly follow our internal rules that are in line with the guidelines and recommendations issued by the Federal Office of Public Health. We continue to organize our operations such that our projects, production, and deliveries are only minimally affected.
With a second wave of infections in the autumn in mind, we are closely monitoring the situation so we can react quickly if addtional measures become necessary.
We wish you and your families the best of health in this difficult time!
The IT'IS Foundation Team
05 June 2020
Dear Partners and Friends,
The global pandemic continues to be a defining challenge for all of us, having disrupted our personal lives and business practices in ways small and large for the past 90 days. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, our focus has been on preserving the business continuity of all our Z43 organizations while fully protecting the health and safety of our staff. We are proud to say that, by responsibly adapting our on-site and remote work practices and behaviors, Z43 has successfully maintained critical operations during this crisis with a zero COVID-19 transmission rate.
As the overall COVID-19 infection rate remains very low in Switzerland (lower than 50 per day), the Swiss government has declared an end to the state of emergency as of 19 June 2020, and precautionary measures will be further relaxed even before then. With this initial step toward normalcy, we are keen to meet all of our commitments without delay. Circumstances, however, may require us to adjust timelines and to adapt the format of our planned activities. If the progress of a project is impacted by these changes, we will inform each partner individually to discuss alternative solutions.
The COVID-19 pandemic remains dynamic. Our return to normal operations is contingent on any new governmental restrictions that may arise in response to a resurgence of COVID-19 infections. Z43 will continue to thoroughly and comprehensively implement essential safety and health policies and procedures for our offices and laboratories. Our health and safety policies depend heavily on the guidelines, data, and advice published by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, and our in-house guidelines will continue to evolve along with best practices. To support effective communication, we will update this webpage as needed with pertinent information for the duration of this pandemic.
Stay safe, stay healthy!
The IT'IS Foundation Team
15 April 2020
Dear Partners and Friends,
The outbreak of COVID-19 is forcing people and businesses around the world to adjust to new routines and to develop strategies to deal with this continually emerging global health crisis. Although the Swiss federal government encourages people to work from home, specialized companies are allowed to continue operations, so long as social distancing requirements can be fulfilled.
Especially now, our top priority is the safety of our employees and their loved ones, and we are taking every precaution necessary to minimize COVID-19 transmission. Currently, about two-thirds of our Z43 colleagues are working exclusively from home, while the others are working in alternating shifts to accomplish tasks that require laboratory work or access to hardware, etc. As of now, we have managed to keep disruption to a minimum while we maintain our core operations at the IT’IS Foundation, and, at the moment, we are confident that we can meet all of our commitments without delay.
It goes without saying that we are monitoring the novel corona virus situation daily, and, should the situation change in such a way that it impacts our ability to continue work on a project, we will contact the project partner immediately to discuss alternative solutions.
Keep in mind that the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health provides regular media releases with the latest information about measures taken to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, and we will continue to update this webpage so long as the corona virus situation remains dynamic.
We hope you are well and stay safe!
The IT'IS Foundation Team
