(CNN) – British tourists fled the Swiss ski resort of Verbier “clandestinely” under cover of darkness, rather than undergoing a new quarantine imposed on British visitors, a local official said on Monday.
On 21 December, the Swiss Federal Council imposed an entry ban and a 10-day retroactive quarantine period on all passengers in the UK and South Africa – which detected another new option – ie anyone who entered Switzerland from the two countries. from December 14 is required to be quarantined.
“Some British tourists left immediately, while others decided to stay a little longer. Some of them fled clandestinely during the night,” Bagnes spokesman Jean-Marc Sandoz told CNN at around 20 minutes away from Verbier.
“They left … as soon as they found a way back to their homes,” he added, noting that the exact number of tourists who left the resort has not been confirmed.
According to Sandoz, 370 British tourists were registered as being obliged to comply with the 10-day quarantine order.
“Some of them had to go to France because the planes for Great Britain are suspended in Switzerland,” Sandoz said.
“You can’t blame them. In most cases, the quarantine was unbearable. Imagine staying with four people in a 20-square-meter hotel room and having to pay for accommodation at a Swiss ski resort.” he added.
According to the head of the Verbier tourist office, Simon Wiget, British tourists usually represent 21% of tourists staying at the resort.
While scientists are looking for more information about the variant discovered in the UK, its impact is already being felt.
Authorities tightened pandemic restrictions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland during the holiday season.
New cases of the variant have been detected worldwide, in countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Jordan, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain and Sweden.