According to the Italian government, ski holidays will only start in January

According to the Italian government, the ski slopes should not open until the end of January, when the number of infections drops and the EU countries can start vaccination campaigns. In view of the high number of new infections and fatalities in Italy, anti-Covid measures should not be relaxed over the Christmas period. Otherwise, the danger is that Italy will face a third wave of coronavirus infections after the holidays in January.

The government of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is reviewing the anti-Covid measures that should apply for the Christmas season this week. The government has to take a decision by December 3rd. On this day, the regulation with which the so-called traffic light system consisting of yellow, orange and red regions was introduced in Italy expires.

Ski vacation: Northern Italy with appeal to the government

The government’s plans have sparked violent reactions in Italy. Six northern Italian regions, including Austria’s neighboring regions Trentino South Tyrol and Friuli Venezia Giulia, appealed to the government in Rome to abandon their plans. The danger is that the mountainous economy will plunge into an even deeper crisis.

“Mountain communities sentenced to death”

“Closing the ski slopes over the Christmas holidays means condemning the mountain communities to death. While people are going to ski in Austria, Switzerland and France, the government in Italy wants to close everything. The northern Italian regions have anti-Covid We designed the arrangements for the ski facilities, thanks to which one can ski in complete safety, “said Massimo Sertori, representative for the mountain communities of the Lombardy region, on Monday.

South Tyrolean governor wants to meet with the government

The South Tyrolean governor, Arno Kompatscher, called for a meeting with the government to discuss the problems of the ski season. The president of the northern Italian region of Veneto, Luca Zaia, urged a Europe-wide agreement on winter sports. “It would be absurd if the ski slopes remain closed with us while you can ski normally in Saint Moritz,” said Zaia.

The Italian Ski World Cup winner Federica Brignone warned of catastrophic damage if the ski facilities were to remain closed over the Christmas period. “At Christmas you have to send a positive signal and open the ski slopes,” demanded Brignone.

“Coronavirus takes no account of Christmas time”

The Italian Vice Minister of Health Pier Paolo Sileri sees the situation differently. “The coronavirus takes no account of the Christmas season. We mustn’t take hasty steps and reopen everything too early,” warned Sileri. You shouldn’t make the same mistake as you did in August, when many Italians got infected on vacation.

(Those: APA)