Italian Ski Areas Go into Lockdown
5th November 2020
Last modified on May 13th, 2021
The Aosta Valley, Piedmont and Lombardy have been declared “Red Zones”. People can only leave their homes for essential reasons and skiing is not one of them. Covid-19 is surging in many parts of Italy as winter approaches.
The areas are home to some of the finest ski resorts Italy has to offer.
Aosta Valley – Cervinia, Pila, Courmayeur, La Thuile and a host of fabulous local ski hills
Piedmont – Sestrietre, Sauze d’Oulx and the resorts in the Monterosa ski area that overlap with Aosta: Alagna, Gressoeny and Champoluc.
Lombardy – Livigno, Bormio and the resorts of Passo de Stelvio and Passo Tonale.
Lombardy includes the financial and industrial city of Milan.
It was the worst-hit area in March and it was Europe’s first coronavirus hotspot.
These regions, along with Calabria in the south, will face the strictest form of lockdown in Italy from Friday.
- No one will be able to leave or enter the “red zone” regions.
- People must stay home, except to go to work or shop for essentials.
- They can exercise near their homes and while wearing masks.
Factories and essential services will remain open, including pharmacies and supermarkets as was the case during lockdown in March.
The whole country has a night curfew.
Italy registered 34,505 new coronavirus infections on Thursday and 445 deaths – the highest daily death toll since 23rd April.
The new measures announced by the Premier, Giuseppe Conte, are aimed at bringing down the surge in Covid-19 infections and trying to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed.
The new restrictions will last at least two weeks and will affect 16.5m of Italy’s 60m population.
“I know that these choices will mean sacrifices and difficulties, but they are the only way to bend the curve,” said Giuseppe Conte.
“United, we can do it.”
Ski resorts have already been ordered to close except for professionals and ski racers after social distancing appeared to be flouted as Cervinia opened last month.
Cervinia opens then closes
Cervinia, Italy
Resorts in the Sud Tirol have claimed some autonomy.
Some ski resorts in Italy remain open
All in all it looks grim for next winter.
The PlanetSKI winter base in Aosta in Italy looks fabulous in its autumn colours.
We lived in Aosta last winter and wish to be there for next winter too.
Whether we will be able to take up residence remains another matter altogether.
PlanetSKI’s home in Aosta. Photo credit – PlanetSKI
PlanetSKI’s home in Aosta. Photo credit – PlanetSKI
