Infection numbers rise in Austria and Switzerland exactly like us – High altitude leads to chaos in the tourist areas. Many hotels and restaurants have to close due to infection among staff. “If we don’t act now, there will be a shutdown anyway,” it sounds desperate.
Read all about the corona virus in this file.
In Austria, the number of new cases of corona almost doubled in one day. The country recorded 9,761 new confirmed cases on Wednesday. The situation in hospitals has remained stable for the time being. The numbers are also rising exponentially in Switzerland, with an average of more than 14,000 infections a day.
VTM NEWS reporter Birgit Herteler went skiing in Austria last week, watch here how it happened in Corona times:
In Austria, infections are especially high in the tourist areas around Salzburg and Tirol. On Tuesday, another group of coronavirus infections was identified With a group of ski instructors in Tyrol.
The biggest problem the ski areas are facing now is the lack of catering staff because many of the staff are infected. Due to the numerous quarantines, many hotels and restaurants have to close.
“After the Christmas period, almost all of our employees tested positive for coronavirus,” says restaurateur Demi Kevalas of Sankt Moritz (Graubünden) in Switzerland. The restaurant is temporarily closed. In Davos, the luxury Grandhotel Belvédère has been closed indefinitely for the same reason. Also in the Swiss canton of Valais, including in Zermatt and Verbier, catering establishments have no choice but to close due to the loss of staff.
Card and working hours are limited
Other catering companies in alpine countries are facing all the problems in the world to continue their business. In some hotels, restaurants are reserved for hotel guests out of necessity, and outside parties can no longer go there for the time being. Or bars and restaurants limit the menu and reduce opening hours. Other catering establishments “lending” healthy employees to each other.
Another closing?
Some tourism entrepreneurs are discussing a strict but short-term shutdown so that the end of the winter sports season can still be salvaged.
If we don’t act now, there will be a shutdown anyway. The system is currently on the verge of collapse.
“If we don’t act now, there will be a shutdown anyway. The system is already on the verge of collapse anyway,” says hotel owner Christian Harish of the Austrian ski resort of Kitzbühel. It appears that many hotels have already closed due to infection among the staff.
Austria’s federal and state governments meet today to discuss the current situation.
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