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This was reported by Jean-Marc Sandoz, spokesman for the municipality of Bagnes, to which Verbier belongs, on Sunday. Before Christmas, the venue identified 420 guests from Britain, including Swiss living there, who had to be quarantined. About 50 left immediately. Of the other 370, fewer than a dozen were still there on Sunday. “We understand your anger,” Sandoz said. He harshly criticized the sudden quarantine requirement for travelers from Britain. Communities did not receive help to implement the provisions.
Flights were stopped and quarantine was ordered
On December 20, Switzerland halted all flights from Britain and South Africa because new and allegedly more contagious variants of the corona virus had been detected in the countries. They ordered that all those who had arrived since December 14 be retrospectively quarantined for ten days from the arrival date.
“Families with young children were suddenly trapped in 20 square meters,” Sandoz said. “It was unbearable.” Some guests have now reported from neighboring France. The ski resorts are closed, but the British can at least breathe fresh air. The municipal administration initially tried to arrange return flights for the guests, but when it became clear that only those who had demonstrably completed ten days of quarantine could board, those affected were fired.
Many Swiss returned home from Great Britain
According to authorities, there have been 92 flights from Britain with some 10,000 people on board since December 14. Sandoz believes that many of them were returning Swiss that could not be found in ski resorts. It was one of the darkest weeks for the Verbier ski resort with around 9,000 inhabitants. With about a fifth of the guests traditionally hailing from Britain, the venue was suddenly criticized as a supposed access point for Corona. “Many Swiss canceled their holidays,” says Sandoz. Verbier normally has 50,000 guests that week. Now hotels only have an occupancy rate of 30 to 40 percent.
(Those: APA)
