GENEVA (AP) – Two weeks after beating the Covid-19, Thiri Salamin Huffs was preparing to walk downhill with his blue and fluorescent yellow ski getup and his sun-like mood as ski boots were scarce by Swiss ice near the Matterhorn peak. Overhead
The one-year-old real estate agent in the southwestern Swiss region of Wallis does not believe he was skiing during the epidemic, let alone the one he has personally endured – and where he has run the ball between his country and his alpine neighbors. People can ski, and where they can’t.
While Austria, France and Italy may close or severely restrict the shut-offs of their ski stations this holiday season due to a coronavirus resurgence, Switzerland has kept its slide open – a gadb about a nonviolent playing field when it comes to alpine fun. .
“That’s right, we have privileges,” Salam said, gesturing about the “paradise” of the Zermatt Olava and the ridge towards Italy. “It’s so bad that people can’t ski on the Italian side, because it’s op-elegant.”
Conflicts between countries during the worst epidemic of a century cut issues of health, business, economy, culture and well-being. But it also violates the World Health Organization COVID-19: One of the key religions promoting to help fight unity.
The Swiss say they are taking reasonable steps to fight the coronavirus. In most parts of Europe, infection counts in Switzerland were seen in late October and peaked at more than 10,000 per day on two occasions about a month ago – the highest number of .5.5 million people in the country.
Officers require masks in ski lifts and queues, and hand hygiene and physical distance measures are recommended. This is just a small discount for the hundreds of faithful skiers who happily set out on a weekend day trip on the Swiss slope near Matterhorn on Thursday.
The French government is all about targeting Switzerland, which is not a member of the European Union, warning that any French resident returning from a ski vacation could face virus tests and a quarantine order. The French move is aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19, but it has come at a time when some officials and business leaders in French alpine towns have complained about unfair sanctions.
On Friday, amid such pressure, Swiss Health Minister Ellen Burset announced the “tightening” of Switzerland’s rules governing ski stations. Ski areas must now receive authorizations from cantonal or regional authorities by December 22 to continue operations.
His ministry said trains, gondola and cable cars in ski areas would be limited to two-thirds of the maximum capacity starting Wednesday. But there are still fewer restrictions than in other countries.
Neighboring territories are seething. Compared to the border with Italy’s Zermatt, the Valle d’Osta regional council voted to reject the national government and open its ski lifts anyway, but the issue could be bound in court.
Nicolas Rubin, the mayor of the French city of Chattel, near the Swiss border, wrapped his city hall with Swiss flags in protest of the directives received from Paris. He told Swiss public television on Wednesday that he was “not jealous” of Switzerland, adding that Swiss authorities had given full consideration to his rules.
The European Union – which counts Ria Austria, France and Italy as members – has stopped recommending travel bans during the holiday season. But national authorities are taking precautions, increasing the prevalence of such incidents at ski resorts in both countries in the wake of the seed-destructive outbreak in Europe.
On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte confirmed that Italian ski lifts would remain closed until January. Austria will allow skiing to begin on December 24, but will limit ski lift capacity until early January.
In Zermatt, this weekend – especially during the early winter season, it may be important to see the warnings from foreign politicians and the registration of skiers to be mourned abroad by winter time business owners.
“Tourism is our only income, it’s our life,” Zurmat Mayor Romi Biner-Hoser said in an interview. ”
“No one wants to be a hotspot, no one wants to be a super spreader,” he said. “What is the difference between outdoor activity (between) sun, fresh air, mountains, as opposed to a shopping mall in a big city? And yet no one has given me that answer. ”
Zermatt tourism officials have, so far, reported at least a 20% drop in overnight investment this year. Traditionally, almost all visitors come from Switzerland, the other half come from abroad – many come from far away, not just neighboring countries.
“We are very hopeful that the government will not lock down again and we hope that people from other countries will be able to cross the border,” said Dave Pryce, an Italian ski instructor at Zermatt. “It makes no sense to lock the world. It means: ‘Let’s stop living.’
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The report includes Nadine Achui-Lacez in Zermatt, Switzerland, Colin Berry in Milan, Sylvie Corbett in Paris and Samuel Petraquin in Brussels.
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