Swiss law enforcement probe 12 Brits suspected of fleeing ski resort quarantine

ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss police explained on Wednesday they are investigating 12 instances in which British visitors ignored quarantine orders aimed at containing new COVID-19 virus variants following hundreds of fellow nationals are believed to have fled the country.

FILE Image: A snow building device is pictured, ahead of the formal opening of the Alpine ski resort of Verbier on December 5, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Verbier, Switzerland December 1, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

On Dec. 21, the government requested folks who arrived from Britain and South Africa due to the fact Dec. 14 into a 10-day quarantine, although quickly halting flights, foremost to some being stranded in resorts which include Verbier, a preferred spot for British skiers.

They ended up supposed to keep indoors, away from other persons.

The canton of Valais, exactly where Verbier is positioned, sent 220 police to enforce constraints, including functions in which they checked up on selected quarantined vacationers.

“Of the 150 men and women who have been checked at the holiday getaway locations, 138 attendees constantly adhered to the quarantine,” Valais law enforcement reported. “Investigations are presently underneath way in 12 scenarios exactly where the travelers experienced previously still left the canton.”

Significantly a lot more than a dozen left, having said that. Hundreds of Britons have fled quarantine in Verbier, with the overall health minister attributing the exodus to an “impossible situation”.

At the very least seven folks in Switzerland have been detected with the mutant virus, 5 with the British variation and two with a model detected in South Africa.

Two variants were 1st discovered in Britain and South Africa.

The punishment British travelers, some of whom personal Swiss holiday property, could deal with in Valais is unclear, nevertheless rules governing “dangerous diseases” could signify quarantine violators are slapped with fines of up to 10,000 Swiss francs ($11,330).

Switzerland is sticking to a “lockdown mild,” shutting restaurants but leaving ski regions open as it balances health and fitness factors with the economic system.

Reporting by John Miller Editing by Nick Macfie