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SKIING

Switzerland will not require Covid certificate for winter sports

The Swiss government agreed with ski resorts on Tuesday afternoon that the Covid certificate will not be required to hit the ski slopes this winter.

A skier carves up some sweet pow pow in the Swiss alps.
Skiers in Switzerland will not require the Covid certificate this winter. Photo by Loïc Ansermoz on Unsplash

The agreement came after a long debate about which protective measures should be introduced in the coming season, Swiss news outlet Blick reported on Tuesday.  

The main question was whether the Covid certificate would be required in chairlifts or on the slopes in general. 

IN DEPTH: What are the rules on Swiss ski slopes this year?

The government said on Tuesday that it was confident the upcoming season would be safe despite not requiring the Covid certificate. 

Switzerland’s Covid certificate demonstrates that the holder has either been vaccinated, has recovered from the virus recently or has tested negative. 

Canton-by-canton: How visitors can get Switzerland’s Covid certificate

The Covid certificate will not be required on the slopes or to take chairlifts. 

Ski areas are however free to put in place a Covid certificate requirement if they deem it appropriate. 

It will however be required in bars and restaurants in the ski area, although people eating and drinking on terraces and balconies will not need a valid certificate. 

Masks will be required in chairlifts and on mountain railways and cable cars, the Federal Office of Public Health confirmed on Tuesday. 

This therefore means the rules in these areas reflect those in public transport. 

Will these rules be in place throughout the winter?

When making the announcement, the government was careful to reiterate that it had the final word on whether to change, i.e. tighten, the rules on the ski slopes. 

Rudolf Hauri, President of the Association of Cantonal Doctors, indicated he was uncertain about whether the decision to not require Covid certificates was the right one – and suggested it would be subject to review

“As of now, I can’t tell you whether it’s the right way. That remains to be seen, I think the last word has not yet been said in this case.”

At the same press conference, government spokespeople said more needed to be done to boost the country’s flagging vaccination rate. 

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HIKING

Swiss Alps deaths involving foreigners reach a ten-year high

The number of foreigners involved in fatal incidents in the Swiss Alps reached a ten year high in 2023, a new report from the Swiss Alpine Club reveals. 

Swiss Alps deaths involving foreigners reach a ten-year high

According to the report, 114 people died in accidents in Switzerland’s mountains over the previous year, with 71 of them foreigners either visiting or living in Switzerland. 

Germans constituted the largest group with fifteen fatalities, followed by Italians with twelve fatalities and the Dutch with six. 

Three Britons and two Americans were also killed in mountaineering accidents. 

Over three-quarters of those who died in mountaineering accidents were men – eighty-two, as opposed to thirty-two women.

Read More: Why have so many climbers and hikers died in the Swiss mountains this year?

Those between the ages of forty-one and seventy were most represented in the statistics, with fifty-one incidents involving a fatality. 

Individuals between twenty and forty comprised the second largest group, with forty-five fatalities. 

Four individuals between the ages of ten and twenty also died in mountaineering incidents in 2023. 

Hiking is the most dangerous activity

Most of the fatal incidents involved hiking or high-altitude trekking – that is to say, requiring oxygen –  with exhaustion or the inability to continue, resulting in death before rescuers could attend. 

Over a third of all fatalities occurred in the canton of Valais, with forty-five incidents. Bern followed, with fifteen incidents and Grisons with fourteen.

Valais’ relatively larger size, position along the French and Italian Alps, and over eight thousand kilometres of hiking trails could help explain the high number of fatalities as recorded in the report. 

Similarly, the size of Bern and Grisons and the popular alpine resorts found there could explain their statistical significance. 

Read More: How to keep safe and avoid problems when hiking in the Swiss Alps

Warmer weather to blame

A press release accompanying the article points to unseasonably warmer weather as one contributing factor: “The beautiful weather attracted many mountain sports enthusiasts to the mountains. 

“This is reflected in the number of mountain emergencies and fatal accidents, which have increased in the summer months.”

Indeed, July and August were the most dangerous months for those enjoying mountain sports, with twenty-one and twenty deaths, respectively. 

Keeping the mountains safe

The Swiss Alpine Club, founded in 1863, has kept records of mountain incidents since its inception and publishes a report yearly to promote responsible and safe use of Switzerland’s alpine environments. 

The annual report breaks down the location, cause and background of those involved in incidents and identifies whether a successful rescue was carried out. 

Read More: EXPLAINED: 8 rules nature lovers should follow in the Swiss countryside

It draws upon the operational data held by mountain rescue organisations REGA, the Swiss Alpine Rescue ARS, the Cantonal Valais Rescue Organization KWRO, Air-Glaciers Lauterbrunnen and other institutions working across the country.

The Swiss Alpine Club’s 111 sections also maintain huts and trails throughout the country’s twenty-six cantons, promote mountain sports, and teach basic outdoor safety and first aid skills.

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