Another 2 weeks have gone by and we drift closer to the winter. Like everyone else we are still uncertain as to what will happen but we remain positive that there will be skiing to be had, the mountains will be open and hopefully travel restrictions will n0t get tighter.
A coalition of Swiss tourism organisations is suggesting the government look at having more testing and shorter quarantine. In this post from swissinfo.ch the head of the Valais Department of Economic affairs said ‘The ten-day quarantine period is far too long, we need to test more, and faster, and to shorten the quarantine period.”
It’s nice to see a group like this focusing on international travel and tourism in the time of Covid. We are hopeful that there are some good solutions to be found in time for winter.
WHAT's NEW?
MORE INFO AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE SEASON
From across the Alps and the industry we are getting more information on how winter will look. There are more and more resources available as to how resorts have dealt with the summer, their plans for the winter. What lift companies, chalet companies, hotels, ski schools and resorts are going to do and how visitors can help.
Here at Summit we think this is great and the more info that we can share the more people can start to make decisions and travel again.
Here are some links we have come across recently:
Inthesnow.com: Will I be able to ski next winter
Offers a load of information on booking, how your holiday might be different, will resorts be open, the best ways to travel etc.
Morzine Source Magazine: How will we ski this winter?This provides information on what the various lift companies of the Porte du Soleil are planning
Coronavirus travel insurance: who will cover me?
A good article in Which? comparing travel insurance and Covid cover.
FRANCE ON THE SWISS Quarantine list
Due to the rapidly increasing numbers of new cases in France, parts of the country have been put on the high risk travel list for Switzerland. Currently this does not affect the borders with the country but most of the rest of France we are now recommended to not visit and would have to self isolate for 10 days on our return.
More info on the French situation
Mandatory quarantine info from the Swiss Government (in English)
THE NUMBERS...
New cases in Switzerland
The cases have continued to rise gradually in Switzerland. The 7 day moving average has gone from 302 to 396 over the last 2 weeks.
New cases in Valais
Since our last post 2 weeks ago numbers have increased but again not hugely, an average of 9 new cases per day for the canton.
The top screenshot is from 31st August and the bottom one from today 14th September.
The different colours are for the 3 cantons of:
- Geneva (yellow)
- Zurich (blue)
- Valais (red)
The situation in Zermatt
We are enjoying an incredible autumn here in the Alps. The days are warm, the colours are changing and it is a great time to be in the mountains getting fit for the season ahead.
The Zermatt lift company have recently updated their page with how they are dealing with ‘shutdowns and disruptions’. Currently in Zermatt on the mountain these are the main protective measures at a glance:
The wearing of a face mask is mandatory in all gondolas and cabins.
Maintain social distancing in station buildings, cabins and other public areas.
Observe the general hygiene rules from the Department of Health and wash your hands regularly.
Purchase tickets online if possible. Use electronic or contactless payment methods if paying on-site.
Matterhorn Paradise lift pass policy re COVID for winter 20/21
In a nutshell if you book your lift pass online but can’t make it out to Zermatt due to travel bans, you or persons cloasely associated catching COVID-19 or resort facilities being closed due to federal or cantonal authorities then you will be issued with a credit note for the lift pass that is valid for 5 years. There are other insurance options and some lift passes are not valid for the credit note scheme so be sure to check the terms and conditions in detail.
