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Outcry in Italy as government blocks ski activities

Last-minute decision to keep resorts closed due to coronavirus worries becomes 1st headache for new premier

Giada Zampano  | 15.02.2021 - Update : 15.02.2021
Outcry in Italy as government blocks ski activities File Photo

ROME 

Italy's Health Ministry unexpectedly blocked ski resorts from reopening, in a last-minute move due to COVID-19 worries, sparking outcry among local operators who face economic losses.

The unpopular decision came on late Sunday just a day before skiing was due to be allowed for the first time during a troubled winter season, hit hard by the pandemic.

The move sparked outrage among hoteliers and ski slopes operators, especially in the northern regions, whose economy widely relies on ski tourism.

In a sign of protest, some small ski resorts on Monday opened slopes and services in defiance of the government's decision, which they say will cause heavy economic damages, as visitors had to cancel all their reservations.

The ministry prolonged the ban on recreational skiing at resorts across the country until March 5, saying the move was based on new worrying data published by the country's top health agency.

Experts from the Superior Health Institute (ISS) warned authorities that the British variant of the coronavirus risks hitting Italy hard, multiplying the number of infections and sparking a new outbreak.

The ski slopes’ closure, however, has become the first headache for the newly installed government headed by Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who was sworn in on Saturday amid high expectations.

The government has already promised it would begin compensating ski operators and local tourism as soon as possible, but many believe that it would not be enough to save many from bankruptcy.

Draghi, who is backed by a wide and uneasy majority of different parties, faces the tough challenge of leading Italy out of its worst recession in decades, while also heading the country out of a dramatic health emergency.

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