Ski Resorts Hit as New Lockdown Imposed in Parts of France
19th March 2021
Last modified on May 12th, 2021
21 million people in 16 areas of France will be placed under the measures from midnight today. There areas affected include Paris and other northern cities. The lockdown will last 4-weeks. UPDATED
Ski lifts remain closed in the French resorts but it had been hoped by the resorts that people would be able to travel to them over the Easter holiday break.
People under the new restrictions are not allowed to travel to other parts of the country unless they have a valid reason.
Those in the affected areas will have to fill out a form to explain why they have left their homes.
The regions affected are largely in Northern France, though the Alpes Maritimes in the south east, is also included.
It has parts of the southern French alps in its boundaries including the ski resort of Isola 2000.
France has recorded more than 35,000 new infections within the past 24 hours.
It has 273 confirmed cases of covid-19 per 100,000 of population over a 7-day period.
In Paris there are 1,200 people in intensive care – more than at the peak of the second wave in November.
Under the new measures, non-essential businesses will be forced to close but schools will remain open.
People will be allowed to exercise outdoors within 6 miles of their home.
France’s nationwide curfew remains in place but will begin an hour later at 19:00.
It comes as many parts of the French Alps and Pyrenees have seen recent heavy snow.
Covid-19 is rising across many countries in Europe, with Switzerland extending Covid-19 measures on Friday.
Other alpine countries have cause for concern, with Italy seeing 263 cases per 100,000 people over a 7-day period.
In Austria it is 216.
In the ski nations of Eastern Europe the situation is more worrying and tighter restrictions are being introduced in the Czech Republic (708), Poland (352) and Bulgaria (296).
Further north in Scandinavia Sweden is seeing 291 cases.
While they are rising in Norway (112) and Finland (86).
In the Pyrenees Andorra is at 243, while Spain is doing well on 58.
The UK is seeing 59 new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people over a 7-day period.
