Empty universities, closed schools, deserted football stadiums and soon orphaned ski lifts: the situation in Italy is getting worse. For fear that the corona virus could spread further, South Tyrolean inns and cable car operators have decided to take drastic steps: the winter season ends prematurely and the opening of the spring season is postponed.
Health comes before consumption
At a press conference in Bolzano, Manfred Pinzger, President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association (HGV) announced South Tyrol: "Human health is our top priority. With our initiative, we go beyond the state regulations. In this crisis, everyone is individual asked us to do everything we can to stop the spread of the virus. " Specifically, this means that the tourist companies will cease operations from Wednesday, March 11, 2020, until April 3, 2020.
It is not yet clear what the consequences will be for guests and visitors who have already booked vacation in the mentioned period. Pinzger had recommended that companies try to offer the guests alternative dates as far as possible and to accommodate cancellations as accommodating as possible.
Italy's government declared Lombardy and 14 provinces "Red Zones" on March 7. South Tyrol is not one of them, but it also shows an increase in the number of positively tested people and suspected cases. After the German Robert Koch Institute classified South Tyrol as a risk area, many tourists had left prematurely.