(CNN) – British tourists “clandestinely” fled the Verbier Swiss ski resort in the dark instead of undergoing a new quarantine imposed on visitors to the UK, 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 travelers in the UK and South Africa (which has detected another new variant), ie anyone who has entered Switzerland from both countries since December 14 is required to be quarantined.
“Some British tourists left immediately, while others decided to stay a little longer. Some fled clandestinely overnight,” Bagnes city spokesman Jean-Marc Sandoz told CNN at about 20 minutes from Verbier.
“They left … as soon as they found their way back to their home,” he added, noting that the exact number of tourists who left the station has not been confirmed.
According to Sandoz, it was recorded that 370 holidaymakers in the UK had to comply with the forty-day quarantine order.
“Some of them had to leave for France, because the planes to the UK 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 to stay at a ski resort. Switzerland, “he added.
According to Simon Wiget, head of the Verbier tourist office, British tourists typically account for 21% of holidaymakers staying at the resort.
While scientists are looking for more information on the variant discovered in the UK, its impact is already noticeable.
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.