On Monday morning in Nyon, local businesses and council buildings were preparing for the 11th May when there will be a gradual easement of lockdown restrictions (see our previous article).
The lights were being strung up in the trees down by the Plage restaurant, painters and decorators were refreshing the paintwork of the château, and many vans were delivering products to the shops and restaurants.
There was lots of sun and sign of new life springing up around the town. See photos below.
The Return of Ticks
Although this new life and the sun is most welcome, the good weather also means the return of ticks.
RTS reported on today’s lunch time news that the tick season has begun. To avoid being bitten, avoid forest edges and undergrowth, wear light, closed clothing and apply repellent. Ticks are particularly active from March to November, with peaks in Spring and Autumn.
Each year, an estimated 20,000 visits are made as a result of a tick bite. Ticks can cause two main diseases: borreliosis, also known as Lyme disease, and the more serious tick-borne encephalitis. There are between 100 and 250 cases per year in Switzerland.
See this article written by Dr Michelle Wright, a British-trained General Practitioner and Executive Director of HealthFirst in Switzerland.
Call of 4th May campaign
Also around town today were a group of citizens alerting passers-by to the “Call of May 4” campaign.
This campaign coincides with the reopening of the Swiss Parliament. The aim is “to make elected representatives hear a desire from concerned citizens to see a different, more humane and sustainable future emerge in the aftermath of COVID-19”.
You can read more and sign up for this petition here.