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A month late, the elevators in Austria start the engine. But not everyone agrees. There are also strict measures.
Many ski areas in Austria start the winter season on Thursday, Christmas Eve, under strict hygiene requirements. Due to the coronavirus, all skiers over the age of 14 must wear particularly effective FFP2 masks when in gondolas or queuing.
Some cable cars offer these types of masks for sale, others have asked skiers to take them with them. The protection measure is not indisputable. The Bergbahn Saalbach wants to take legal action against him because control is difficult, but the responsibility for violations lies with the company. Therefore, the Saalbach-Hinterglemm ski area only wants to open up when the FFP2 mask is no longer required.
Lunge and empty yawn
In Ischgl, once considered a Corona hotspot, officials decided not to start the season. The reason is the cross-border nature of the ski area. Under the regulations, anyone driving to Switzerland must be quarantined when they return to the slopes in Austria, he said. This is a delicate situation that you don’t want to expose yourself to. Now, the ski area hopes to be able to start in the second half of January after the end of the lockdown and an expected lifting of quarantine regulations.
On the other hand, the rush elsewhere: webcams in Semmering or Kitzbühel showed dozens of athletes on the slopes. On the other hand, at noon there was a huge void in Nassfeld and other well-known ski areas.
Hotels and restaurants closed
While entry regulations will make tourism in Austria practically impossible in the near future, Switzerland has no such requirements. On top of that, the Swiss canton of Valais and the canton of Graubünden have given the green light to ski at Christmas despite international criticism. This means that the ski areas, including Davos-Klosters and Engadin-St. Moritz: open if the number of new coronavirus infections or hospital occupancy does not change significantly. The situation is reevaluated every day, he said.
In the canton of Valais with Zermatt, Verbier and Crans Montana, most of the mountain railways and restaurants are open during the holidays. In Austria, however, restaurants and hotels are closed. The federal states can decide whether to allow sales away from home.
