"Impossible situation": British skiers flee Swiss quarantine, destination unknown

[webfact]

"Impossible situation": British skiers flee Swiss quarantine, destination unknown

 

FILE PHOTO: A snow making machine is pictured, before the official opening of the Alpine ski resort of Verbier on December 5, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Verbier, Switzerland December 1, 2020. Picture taken December 1, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

 

ZURICH (Reuters) - Hundreds of Britons have fled quarantine in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, with the country's health minister attributing the exodus to an "impossible situation" where authorities moved at short-notice to contain a new variant of the coronavirus.

 

On Dec 21, the Swiss government ordered people who had arrived from the United Kingdom and South Africa since Dec. 14 to undergo a 10-day quarantine to prevent the spread of more contagious variants of the coronavirus. It also halted flights before allowing them to resume a few days later so stranded visitors could return home.

 

Swiss media reported on Sunday that about 200 British citizens left Verbier before the end of their quarantine.

 

Hundreds of Britons spending the holidays in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier fled the village to avoid quarantine rules put in place by Switzerland's government after the discovery of a new strain of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom. Emily Wither reports.

 

Asked about the run-away tourists, Health Minister Alain Berset told reporters in Basel: "We are aware of that. It is obviously a problem, there was an order to quarantine that has not been respected."

 

He said he didn't know the current whereabouts of the tourists, but suspected that they had gone home.

 

"One shouldn't underestimate what an impossible situation it was," he said. "We had to decide within hours what to do ... That things don't work perfectly in such a situation, that problems surface is a reality we have to live with."

 

Simon Wiget, director of Verbier tourism, told Reuters that the sudden quarantine order had placed local authorities in a difficult situation. "It's our role to pass on information, we're not the police," he said.

 

(Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-29

 

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[bkk6060]

A bunch of selfish irresponsible idiots.

[ourmanflint]

You can't blame them from running, but they really should not have gone in the first place. 

[sammieuk1]

Being banged up for 14 days is not appealing to us Brits in any country ????

[Sujo]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Being banged up for 14 days is not appealing to us Brits in any country ????

It was a 10 day quarantine. But nevermind, put others lives at risk so they can ski.

[colinneil]

People wonder why covid is spreading around the world, irresponsible idiots like them are to blame.

They dont care about others, only enjoying themselves, bunch of irresponsible idiots.

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Being banged up for 14 days is not appealing to us Brits in any country ????

So stay at home and try to get the virus under control

[ChakaKhan]

Must have got fed up being limited to swiss cheese and hot cocoa...

 

Im happy to take their place if the cocoa is brought by Swiss Miss, or beer by St Pauli Girl, my only true love..<3  I'll bring the ricola in case she gets a sore throat! ????

Edited December 29, 2020 by ChakaKhan

[Shot]

After a steady diet of Surströmming, I'd run too. 

[welovesundaysatspace]

Just another example of why Thailand was right to shut its borders so we are safe from those western idiots who are unable to handle the freedom our western societies gave them when they have to squeeze their asses for a while. Selfish, reckless idiots.  

[Inderpland]

33 minutes ago, Shot said:

After a steady diet of Surströmming, I'd run too. 

What, are the Swiss serving that quintessential Swedish dish?? Now that's cultural appropriation gone mad!

Edited December 29, 2020 by Inderpland

[stretch5163]

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

People wonder why covid is spreading around the world, irresponsible idiots like them are to blame.

They dont care about others, only enjoying themselves, bunch of irresponsible idiots.

Whoa wait hang on a minute they were allowed in by the Swiss in the first place so why are they to blame ? They should have been given the option of quarantine and or repatriation not simly wake uo and be told by the way your british you are now in quarantine for 10 days.

[spiekerjozef]

Going on holiday during a pandemic was the new trend in 2021.

I wouldn't have a clue why covid-19 did spread so rapidly across the globe...

[placeholder]

11 minutes ago, Inderpland said:

What, are the Swiss serving that quintessential Swedish dish?? Now that's cultural appropriation gone mad!

Another good reason to visit the Swedish Alps.

[ballpoint]

6 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Another good reason to visit the Swedish Alps.

Something these turnip skiers would be keen to do.

[onthedarkside]

A trolling post re the newer strain of the coronavirus found in Britain has been removed, along with numerous replies.

 

[welovesundaysatspace]

32 minutes ago, stretch5163 said:

Whoa wait hang on a minute they were allowed in by the Swiss in the first place so why are they to blame ?

Because they were not allowed to just leave without quarantine. They broke laws, that’s why they’re to blame. 
 

32 minutes ago, stretch5163 said:

They should have been given the option of quarantine and or repatriation not simly wake uo and be told by the way your british you are now in quarantine for 10 days.

I see you demand the rule of law only when it suits you. 

[KannikaP]

31 minutes ago, spiekerjozef said:

Going on holiday during a pandemic was the new trend in 2021

And we are not even there yet!   LOL

[Rimmer]

A quoted reply of a previously removed post has been removed

[2530Ubon]

5 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Being banged up for 14 days is not appealing to us Brits in any country ????

And people in the UK wonder why the COVID situation is so bad... No one else wonders why, we all know the UK is a disgracefully selfish nation.

 

What happened to "keep calm and carry on" , or the more traditional "stiff upper lip". What a disgrace my country of origin has become.

 

Quite what they were thinking going on holiday in times like these is beyond me. Selfish, ill planned and irresponsible.

 

Boris shouldn't be letting people fly out of the country at all - and he shouldn't be allowing people in either.

I suppose it's too late now for anyone to care about following protocol. Yesterday over 41,000 cases - bearing in mind this is reported cases over christmas. There will be a lot of under-reported cases due to delays, and people not going to get tested and miss stuffing their faces with more stuffing.

[Bluespunk]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Impossible situation": British skiers flee Swiss quarantine, destination unknown

Wonder if “The Great Escape” was on tv before this mass breakout...

[transam]

8 minutes ago, 2530Ubon said:

And people in the UK wonder why the COVID situation is so bad... No one else wonders why, we all know the UK is a disgracefully selfish nation.

 

What happened to "keep calm and carry on" , or the more traditional "stiff upper lip". What a disgrace my country of origin has become.

 

Quite what they were thinking going on holiday in times like these is beyond me. Selfish, ill planned and irresponsible.

 

Boris shouldn't be letting people fly out of the country at all - and he shouldn't be allowing people in either.

I suppose it's too late now for anyone to care about following protocol. Yesterday over 41,000 cases - bearing in mind this is reported cases over christmas. There will be a lot of under-reported cases due to delays, and people not going to get tested and miss stuffing their faces with more stuffing.

What has "Keep calm and carry on and stiff upper lip" got to do with Brit skiers abroad...?....????

[2530Ubon]

2 hours ago, transam said:

What has "Keep calm and carry on and stiff upper lip" got to do with Brit skiers abroad...?....????

I didn't think that needed explaining. Then again, I've just been complaining that these traditions seemed to have evaporated so i shouldn't be surprised. They are traditional British phrases and pretty much everyone in the western world would recognise these attributes as British.

 

Stiff upper lip: A person who is said to have a stiff upper lip displays fortitude and stoicism in the face of adversity

 

Keep calm and carry on: keep calm and carry on is a popular slogan calling for persistence in the face of challenge. It was first used on a British propaganda poster during World War II but now enjoys general currency as an expression of resilience.

 

These Brits haven't displayed fortitude, resilience or stoicism in the face of a challenge/difficult situation. [comment deleted] They could potentially be spreading the disease to others.

[gamini]

this is why the UK has one of the highest rates in the world, 

[tifino]

31 minutes ago, transam said:

What has "Keep calm and carry on and stiff upper lip" got to do with Brit skiers abroad...?....????

... they got cold feet

[Natai Beach]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

People wonder why covid is spreading around the world, irresponsible idiots like them are to blame.

They dont care about others, only enjoying themselves, bunch of irresponsible idiots.

Yeah, no wonder over 70,000 deaths with idiots like these. 

And a new mutant covid strains because of them that is 70% more contagious.

 

The UK just had its worst day and week infections wise. With all the Xmas parties and new year parties we can pretty much pencil the bodies piling up in February.

 

And they are out in the streets protesting again. Morons.

 

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/uk-covid-case-update-looming-disaster-as-hospitals-overflow/news-story/f37b646c4878a687d8114af513a7cb3c

Edited December 29, 2020 by Natai Beach

[simon43]

As mentioned in a recent post, the UK borders should be shut.  No-one allowed out and only returning Brits allowed in.  Plus, stop using the police to try to control these selfish people, bring in the military, with military rough-handedness.  This is a pandemic, not someone caught dropping litter.

Edited December 29, 2020 by onthedarkside
profanity term deleted

[Natai Beach]

46 minutes ago, 2530Ubon said:

Boris shouldn't be letting people fly out of the country at all

I have read here people complaining that the “Chinese government sent their citizens abroad in February to spread covid to the world”

 

This is very similar.

 

I feel for the Swiss, this will likely result in Swiss deaths, an covid outbreak and it will further hurt businesses and people’s financial situation.

[DefaultName]

Entitled idiots, think that because they can afford a skiing holiday, the rules shouldn't apply to them.

[Nout]

 

7 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

A bunch of selfish irresponsible idiots.

You were not there and do not know the conditions or circumstances of their imprisonment. In the early days the quarantining of people on cruise liners led to their death being trapped in unhygienic, closed quarters. For all we know the Swizz situation may have been similar. Simply locking people in a toxic petri dish without ample, well though