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After the Prime Minister of Italy, Giuseppe Conte, the Prime Minister of Bavaria, Markus Sder (CSU), also called for the temporary closure of the ski lifts. pronounced throughout Europe. JSomeone who goes skiing in risky areas must be quarantined for ten days, Sder said Tuesday. at a session of the state parliament in Munich. You would like a uniform agreement at European level.
Conte I had a conversation with the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Tuesday about the anti-Covid requirements to be taken during the Christmas season. Conte He has plans to close the ski slopes over the Christmas period as a measure against the corona pandemic. Urges for a European ban on ski holidays.
“We are working with Merkel and Macron on a joint European protocol on winter holidays. We cannot afford a ski holiday due to the risk of infection,” he said. Conte in the political program “Otto e mezzo” broadcast on Monday night on the channel “La7”. Italy couldn’t afford a third wave of infections in January, it argued Conte.
Austria asks for EU money in case of ski ban
Rome’s initiative to ban skiing at Christmas sparks little joy in Austria. Finance Minister Gernot Blmel and Tourism Minister Elisabeth Kstinger (both vice-presidents) immediately asked Brussels for money in the event of a Christmas ski ban. Chamber of Commerce president Harald Mahrer sees no obstacles to Christmas skiing in Austria. The green-led Ministry of Health is reluctant.
“I can’t win anything with the Italian advance,” said Kstinger (VP). “Winter holidays in Austria will be safe. Our companies already have comprehensive security concepts in place for Ski holiday“There will be no après-ski this year, for example,” he said. Tourism and gastronomy are not responsible for the high number of infections, he said in defense of their industries. If the EU thinks of restrictions, then it would have to compensate the affected businesses. The tourism and leisure industries directly and indirectly secure jobs and income for around 700,000 people.
Finance Minister Gernot Blmel (VP) also believes that the prerequisite for a debate on the closure of ski areas would be for the EU to bear the costs. “If the EU really wants the ski resorts to be closed, that means costs of up to 2 billion euros. If the EU really wants that, then it has to pay for it.” Blmel suggests direct transfers to the federal government, which are then distributed to interested companies, or a reduction in payments from the Austrian EU by this amount.
The Health Ministry issued a wait and see response. “Our common goal is to drastically reduce the number of infections and, therefore, the number of hospitalizations, as well as the use of intensive care beds in the coming days and weeks. If we succeed, the gradual opening will follow, which will be accompanied of comprehensive protection measures. What opening steps and when can be established depends on the development of the number of infections. The focus is on health protection, “said the APA at the request of the APA.
WK President Mahrer (VP) noted on “ZiB2″ on Monday night that everything had to be done to prevent a third wave of the corona pandemic, but at the same time winter tourism was a ” A very special source of income for companies and therefore also for employees. Employee. ” Austria proved “in the summer that Austrian tourism can do this perfectly with the right prevention concepts.” Only if the virologists say it is not possible, “then will you have to sit down and say when it can reasonably be done.” It’s about planning for security.
Tyrolean Governor Gnther Platter (VP) basically wants to reopen ski operations, but warned Monday that expectations were too high and spoke in favor of a “cautious unlocking.” In this context, the governor warned against the hope that “everything will reopen in December.” It did not undertake to adopt concrete easing measures or to set a date for unlocking. All of that will depend on the development of the numbers and will probably only become clear in late November or early December.
At the moment, the Vorarlberg state government has no public stipulation for or against a European-wide ban on Ski holiday for Christmas. “Possible opening steps after closure are currently the subject of discussions between the federal government and the states,” he said Tuesday in response to a corresponding request from the APA. Clearly, the focus now must be on reducing the number of infections.
The governor of Salzburg, Wilfried Haslauer (VP), is the member of the government responsible for tourism, said on Monday that he would like to open the ski areas a few days before Christmas. “I can’t take anything away from a general opening ban.” On the one hand, the tourism industry and the cable car industry had already shown in the summer that they were well prepared and could operate safely. On the other hand, it would like to serve the domestic market with the opening. “In view of the flood of reciprocal travel advisories between European countries, our focus is therefore on the domestic market.”
There has also been harsh criticism of the proposal in Italy itself, from the ski regions and the hoteliers association. “That is why we give tourists to our neighboring countries like Austria, Switzerland and France, while we have to remain closed,” protested the president of the Federalberghi Hotel Association, Bernabo Bocca, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
