I’ve been following whats going on on newschoolers.com for quite a while.
With all this free time now, I thought it was about time to create an account.
I never imagined, that we would have to deal with such a situation someday.
I guess nobody did, apart maybe from the hardcore “preppers”.
Here is my personal view on the current situation.
Five weeks too early.
Lets go back to the beginning of March.
The last week of our rush hour, the busiest time of the season.
Swiss carnival has come to an end and the Netherlands is the last country enjoying regular school holidays.
And it started well: Warm weather with loads of sunshine and snowfalls here and there.
Skiing pow on March 7.
Less than a week before than the season ends due the virus.
It Seemed A Long Way Off
I follow the news carefully, far more so than the average person.
And it was all a result of a virus called Corona.
I’d heard that same name a few weeks before.
But China is a long way from here.
And so it seemed, was Corona at the time.
But the situation in Italy got worse and worse.
One ski resort after another closed.
Switzerland itself, banned gatherings of more than 1000people.
The Perfect Source
Then everything escalated, in just days.
I kept following the news and saw the increasing number of deaths, especially in the north of Italy.
Black Friday
Perhaps it was fitting that it should be a black Friday, a thirteenth.
The sun was shining and the snow conditions were prime.
But there was only one topic on anyone’s mind: The virus.
Everyone was nervously awaiting the Swiss government press conference to be held later that day.
I had the afternoon off and somehow did not feel like skiing.
I preferred to go home to watch the live stream of the press meeting.
It was no surprise, that there were more restrictions coming due to the virus.
But the breadth of the rules introduced by the government was shocking.
In retrospect, they seem to have made the right decisions.
But at the time it seemed extreme: Restaurants and most shops have to close.
And the ski resorts.
We are done for good.
Ski season is over.
Not from Monday on, as I had initially guessed, but from tomorrow.
Sunrise as seen from the top of Saas-Fee (Switzerland).
The Last Apres
And so, I went for a walk.
Writing these lines now in a ghost town feels surreal.
As is usually the case on a Friday afternoon,the apres-ski bars were pretty crowded.
Nobody yet cared about keeping their distance.
What followed is an evening I will never forget.
Most people had an idea that the ski resort could shut down as the result of newspaper articles.
But nobody was really prepared for the reality.
I went for dinner at a restaurant with friends who also just lost their jobs.
We chatted with the server.
Later the cook joined us.
They are in constant contact with their relatives at home.
Some want to stay in Saas-Fee, but most want to go home.
One border after the other will close in the coming days.
A few days later, Switzerland starts to close its borders too.
But also to assist at the borders.
When you know, it is all over: Dinner on Friday, March 13.
Keeping Distance
The state of emergency in Switzerland has now been in place for two weeks.
Saas-Fee looks like a ghost town.
And Verbier,
St. Moritz and all the other famous ski towns.
Most people are staying at home - as has been recommended by the Swiss government.
Gatherings of more than five people are prohibited.
The supermarkets and pharmacies are the only shops open.
The official number of people infected by the virus reached 10000 on March 25.
We do not have a curfew-like Italy or Austria.
But social distance is the word of the hour.
2 meters at least.
No groups with more than five people.
Indeed I barely ever meet five people on my way to the supermarket.
Keeping our distance seems to be very easy in Saas-Fee these days.
Keeping Moving
I cannot stay inside my apartment the whole day.
As long as it is not prohibited I will be spending time outdoors.
And as long there is snow on the ground, I will do so with skis on my feet.
Usually, I only ski uphill to access fresh powder snow (or corn in spring).
But in the last winters, I’ve started to enjoy the way up more and more.
But never considered that one day I would tour up to ski pistes with average conditions at best.
We are keeping to small groups and only ride mellow runs we have skied countless times.
Now is not the time to look for new challenges in skiing, but merely to keep yourself moving.
Or build a fitness circuit in your garden.
The ski slopes now belong to nature again, with all its risks.
Never considered that one day I would tour up to ski pistes with average conditions at best.
I know, things are changing fast and could get worse.
But I’m optimistic that things will be back to normal in the near future.
We have no idea when, but the government thinks early summer.
But whenever it is, there will certainly be a time when the virus is
history.
In the meantime, our planet is taking a very short breather.
Slow down and eat cheese: Is the Corona crisis als an opportunity for mankind?
It’s becoming apparent that in many professions it is also possible to work from home.
Traffic on the streets has decreased significantly.
And why do we always have to travel halfway around the world?
Suddenly people are discovering that natures beauty is on their own doorsteps during their quarantine walks.
The virus is killing people and putting a huge strain on our society.
But it’s also like nature is forcing us to pause and think.
What if this drastic action was suddenly introduced to climate protection?
All of whom have to risk their own health to save lives.
Take care and stay healthy!
