Italy: cold shower for ski resorts which will remain closed until March 5

The Italian ski resorts were to reopen this week: hotels, restaurants and shops had everything planned for the restart, but it was finally the cold shower.

The newly formed government has finally extended their closure until March 5, deeming too risky to start the season. 

After the reopening of museums and restaurants in part of Italy, ski resorts were also preparing to be able to resume service.

Yet it is a new blow for the professionals of the transalpine mountain.

The government has finally extended their closure until March 5, due to the health crisis linked to Covid-19.

Losses estimated at 10 billion euros

A decision taken by the Italian Minister of Health, who considered that "launching this ski season is too risky", particularly because of the English variant, which in Italy represents more than 18% of cases and circulates very quickly.

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But this change, announced at the last minute by a newly formed government, is going badly for mountain professionals.

For them who had already had to close at Christmas, the losses over this ski season are estimated at 10 billion euros.

Strict health measures

In Lombardy and Piedmont, everything had already been planned to put on the skis in complete safety: hotels and restaurants had planned their reopening, a limit gauge had been established for the cable cars, ski pass reservations had to be made directly on the internet to avoid queues and the mask was formally mandatory.

The green light was even given last week by scientists.

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With this backpedaling, skiers therefore only have to be reimbursed, or fall back to one of the rebel resorts in Italy.

Some have indeed decided to restart the ski lifts, in protest.