Verbier swine flu contained
Thursday July 16, 2009 - Email this article to a friend

The timing is unfortunate to say the least.

14 teachers and children from Les Elfes summer school have the H1N1 virus, commonly-known as swine flu.  The people have been quarantined in the school which is just meters from the finish area.

“The situation is totally under control and no special measures have been taken and we haven’t changed anything,” says a spokesman for Verbier. “The school has been placed under quarantine and visitors coming for the Tour de France will not have to make any change to their plans. Their health is safe.”

See here for how we broke the news on PlanetSKI with information and quotes from people inside the quarantined school obtained via our contacts in the resort.

Switzerland has been hit by the virus and health officials are warning that around a quarter of the national workforce could be ill this autumn.

Les Elfes, under quarantineThe government has ordered 13m doses of the vaccine, from 2 international pharmaceutical companies, to deal with the expected pandemic.

There are have been 30 new confirmed cases within the past 24 hours bringing the Swiss total to 178.

"Our aim is to protect risk groups, notably babies, pregnant women, the elderly and people suffering from pulmonary deficiencies," said Thomas Zeltner, director of the Federal Health Office. "Those who come down with typical symptoms, including fever, should stay at home. We do not want people to go to work if they are sick."

In neighbouring Austria a special swine flu quarantine station has been established at a hospital in Salzburg.  It has 24 beds and 9 patients are currently being treated.

Last weekend swine flew also hit a summer camp in the French ski resort of Megeve.  27 students out of a group of 35 caught the virus.  None show cause for concern.

In Verbier there was initial worry as news spread round town of the outbreak but many are re-assured that the authorities have done everything to contain it.

The ski industry is also concerned about the projected pandemic and has been making preparations. 

“We have been doing some scenario planning for a widespread outbreak of swine flu,” says the Managing Director of Crystal Ski, Mathew Prior. He was speaking at a recent news conference, before the outbreak in Verbier and Megeve. “If swine flu hits in a big way then the whole ski industry will struggle.”

Any pandemic will have important consequences for the travel industry as a whole and the ski industry in particular.  Autumn is the traditional time people begin to decide on skiing and book their holiday.

The pandemic is expected to start in September and last up to 12 weeks.

Many people’s minds might be on other things this Autumn.

Bookmark this page

Related Articles