European ski ban in jeopardy as Swiss keep slopes open
Handful of countries defy call to close resorts in attempt to keep Covid at bay
ATTEMPTS to i mpose a Europe-wide ban on skiing over Christmas and New Year look set to fail after Switzerland announced yesterday that it will keep its resorts open.
Germany and Italy are leading calls for an international agreement to close Europe’s ski resorts in order to contain the coronavirus.
France has announced its resorts can open but ordered all ski lifts to remain closed, effectively shutting off the slopes to all but the most adventurous skiers.
However, Britons will still be able to ski in a handful of European countries after Switzerland became the latest to defy the calls. Austria and Andorra have already declared their intention to keep their resorts open.
None of the three countries is on the Government’s list of travel corridors, meaning Britons who do venture out will have to self-isolate on their return.
Italy and Germany have pressed f or a European Union ban but Switzerland is not a member of the bloc and would not be subject to any EU agreement.
“In Switzerland, the situation is much easier, one can still ski, that was always the goal,“Alain Berset, the country’s health minister, said yesterday.
France, Italy and Germany have closed their slopes to skiers over fears of a repeat of one of Europe’s first coronavirus superspreader events. Britons were among more than 6,000 people from 45 countries believed to have been infected in the Austrian resort of Ischgl in the spring.
But authorities in Switzerland, Austria and Andorra argue it was unguarded apres ski parties that spread the virus in Ischgl and are determined to open their resorts subject to strict protocols.
On Wednesday, Germany announced i t would j oin efforts to press for an EU agreement to keep resorts closed. But Angela Merkel made it clear she was only pursuing an EU ban under pre s s ure f r om German regional leaders and believes it has little chance of success.
Germany is to keep its own ski resorts closed until Jan 10, and will press for other countries to follow suit.
The French government ruled out fully reopening resorts, announcing that ski lifts would remain closed. Resort chiefs had implored the government to let them start up for Christmas and New Year. Jean Castex, the prime minister, said the government feared that inevitable ski accidents would place an extra burden on an already stretched health system.