Update Zermatt Covid19

Update Zermatt Covid19

Updates from Zermatt  and the town opening after Covid19.

Keep up to date following this page or drop us a message on info@subzerocoaching.com to find out more about the current situation in town and Switzerland.
Scroll down to find out the latest news!

17th February 2022

An absolute change. From today ” the 17 February, masks and COVID certificates will no longer be required to enter shops, restaurants, cultural venues and other public settings and events. The requirement to wear masks in the workplace and the recommendation to work from home will also end.
At its meeting on 16 February, the Federal Council took the decision to lift the majority of measures in place to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Only the requirements to isolate in the event of a positive test and to wear masks on public transport and in healthcare institutions will remain in place until the end of March to protect those at high risk, after which the situation status will return to normal.”
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases/media-releases-federal-council.msg-id-87216.html/?dyn_startDate=01.07.2021

14th April 2021

The second stage of the Swiss opening plan has been announced today.
From Monday 19th April restaurants will be allowed to open their terraces, offering food to clients on and off the slopes. Skiing, of course, is still possible with Zermatt keeping the higher slopes open. From Monday the ski area will mainly be on the Matterhorn glacier, with lifts operating all the way through May.
Gyms will also be opening again, along with events with up to 15 people.
For more info from the Swiss authorities  please visit the  Official Government page here.

24th February 2021

Switzerland is easing off the COVID measures from the 1st March. Following the drop in cases from the start of the year onwards (and despite the very much discussed opening of ski areas from the start of winter) Switzerland will be opening up shops again. Public gatherings will be also possible up to 15 people. Official Government page here.

Ski areas will of course remain open and functioning according to Cantonal allowance. Zermatt is operating regularly, with all slopes and off piste open. This week also under. a bright sunshine and great snow conditions.

This is the first step of a longer range plan, which will see restaurants opening terraces again after Easter in April and full opening from May onwards.
Zermatt’s winter ski season will end at the start of May. From there lifts will still be open on the glacier, including the 6-seats Furggsattle chairlift. Ski tickets will be available for discounted rates through out the month.

28th January 2021

Non Covid related but important (and quite interesting!) message from the Zermatt commune today.

13th January 2021

The Federal Authorities have released a new set of regulations for Switzerland. With shops having to close from the 18th January until the 28th February with the exception, of course, of food shops.

Skiing is still possible, with mountain restaurants allowed to serve take away food.

22nd December

The Valais canton has announced a few hours ago the closure of restaurants, bars, gyms and places of gathering such as museums, cinemas etc, from the 26th December until the 22nd Janaury.
While the canton currently holds a 0.93 rate and the Swiss limit for closure is 1.2, the Valais has decided, along with the other french speaking cantons, for the preventitive closure.

The ski area will remain open, with self-service areas and restaurants available for take away meals.

For more info please visit the Official Canton Website here.

21st December

The Swiss Federal government has announced today the new quarantine rules for Brits and South Africans traveling to Switzerland. Link here.

While the announcement made on the 18th December confirmed the closing of many parts of Switzerland, the Valais Canton where Zermatt also sits in, is still allowed to open and operate fully, as the number of cases are below the .1 figure.
Until the 28th December at least, restaurants and bars will stay open up until 22.00. Skiing will also operate regularly, at 2/3 capacity for all lifts and masks to be warned at all times.

For the first time since the start of the COVID19 pandemic it is now obligatory to wear a mask while walking on busy roads in Zermatt, including the main street from the train station to the church square and roads nearby, leading to the ski lifts.

11th December

From the 12th December until the 22nd January Switzerland has imposed new rules, in order to allow the Christmas and New Year holidays to happen in safety.
Restaurants and bars will be open, in Valais and Zermatt until 22.00, and so will be shops and ski lifts.
Masks are obligatory in all indoor public spaces, including gondolas and chairlifts, as they fall under methods of public transportation.

Ski lessons are also limited to a maximum of 5 people, including the coach or instructor! For more info always keep an eye on the Swiss Federal Website, available also in english!

Snow conditions in Zermatt are currently great, with a meter of fresh snow fallen in the last couple of weeks. The ski area is opening further everyday, with all lifts and slopes in full swing from the 19th December, ready for Christmas!

5th November

It is official, from Friday 6th November all bars, pubs and restaurants will be closing down until the end of the month.
These are the new measures implemented by the Valais Canton in order to help reducing the rise of cases in the region. Zermatt will then become quieter for the next few weeks, though the ski area is staying open. Many courses are running at the moment, run by Swiss Snowsports, IASI and BASI, for ski instructors coming from many different parts of Europe.
Here below you can find the official document created by the swiss government including all the other rules that must be followed at all times.

28th October

We are reporting straight after the press conference the Federal Government held this afternoon, with updates on containment measures on the coronavirus in Switzerland.
The central government guidelines include a early closing of bars and restaurants, as well as full closing of night clubs of any kind. Luckily, skiing is safe! With groups of no more than 10 people and wearing masks on all lifts and closed environments.

Also worth mentioning the changes in the list of countries requiring quarantine. The new list at the moment only includes:

25th September

While quarantines have been implemented for arrivals from some countries in Europe and outside EU, the first snowfall reached Zermatt village! We are currently under a solid amount of snow falling, due to keep on going for at least the next 24 hours. By Saturday 26th town should be under a meter of snow, with more on the glacier and higher slopes.
To find out more about the Summer & Autumn ski area in Zermatt take a look at the dedicated article here.

26th August

Life keeps going as usual in Zermatt though from Monday 31st August face masks will be obligatory in all shops in Valais. The measure is implemented to keep cases under control after the successful tourist season and in preparation for the winter one.  The Zermatt Tourism office has confirmed the intention of keeping the resort open and in full swing until the 18th October, extending the summer season beyond September.

13th August

The storm as come and gone. Peak weeks were a success in Zermatt, where many tourists participated to the National Day Celebrations on the 1st August. Making the most out of what the resort has to offer, guests enjoyed the hiking trails to the peaks surrounding the town, along with mountain biking and obviously, skiing.

The Swiss National Team has been training on the Matterhorn Glacier since July, along with part of the German and Austrian Team. The link to and from Cervinia is open, allowing skiers to access the ski area (located within the Swiss boarders) from the Italian resort.

We have been coaching skiers since the opening on the 8th June, with incredibly good snow conditions. For the first 4 weeks we had very few people on the glacier. Since the opening of the Cervinia lifts and the running of the gates lanes for racers the glacier has been busy but not crazy. The snowpark is also open and lively with music and the dedicated cafe at the bottom of the area.

Useful Links

From the 6th July 2020 Switzerland imposes a 10 days quarantine to people coming in from countries at high risk.
The list evolves along with the current situation and so it is important to be able to keep up to date.
In the link here you can find the updated country list that requires quarantine upon arrival.

If you are signed up to one of our professional development courses don’t worry, we have organized accommodation for you to be able to quarantine in!

8th June

The lifts are operating!
Following the scheduled set for the resort to fully open, the Zermatt lift company has opened the ski area along with hiking/mountain biking areas. Cableways, tbars and bubble lifts are open towards the Sunnegga area, the Gornergrat peak and the Klein Matterhorn.
Restaurants, bars and hotels are open and running as usual, with social distancing enforced. There is no obligatory use of the masks for guests.

1st May

Switzerland has updated the original re-opening plan for the country.

Since after the first batch of shops and facilities have been opening with success, the second phase starting from the 11th May will see primary schools, restaurants, public places such as museums and libraries and all shops opening again to the public.

From the 8th June the hope is to also have lifts opening in the country, with all other educational institutions, professional sport facilities and gatherings of more than 5 people. Cable ways, for skiing, hiking and biking will also be allowed to open.

The ban for large events will hold up until the end of August, and is still uncertain when the ban for events with max 1000 people will be dropped.

Switzerland is moving towards normality, anticipating moves that everyone hopes other countries will be able to follow soon.

12th May

Zermatt has officially opened doors of shops, restaurants and cafes in town.
All facilities are respecting the social distancing, refurbishing their spaces in order to guarantee the correct distance between people sitting at different tables.
Following federal directives, each table has a form to fill out with name, surname, time and date of use.

Many companies, from hotels to banks, have been using the last few weeks of quiet times to renovate buildings and facilities. Some business will not open during the summer but the majority will be operating regularly.

Transportation to and from Taesh is guaranteed with a train every hour in each direction.

Lifts remain closed, but the hope is to open the Sunnegga, Gornergrat and Matterhorn Express side to Trocknersteig from the 8th June.

Hike and bike trails are already open and available to be used by the general public. 

With the Swiss Ski Team officially deciding to not travel to the south hemisphere to train this summer, the lift company will be able to count on the help of the national team to open. Swiss Ski Alpine Director Walter Reusser has confirmed the intention of using the glacier of Saas Fee and Zermatt for the summer training camps of all elite athletes.

Cervinia has not yet officially published the opening dates of their lifts, it is possible that if the Italian Covid19 Situation improves they will be trying to open the lifts at the end of June/start of July.

27th May

The official publication from the Swiss Federal Council of Public Health has just come out. Cable cars and sport activities to be (nearly) fully resumed!
Here is the related part of the official communication:

“From 6 June, the measures put in place to fight the new coronavirus will be extensively eased. That is the decision taken by the Federal Council at its meeting on 27 May in view of the positive developments in the epidemiological situation.

• All events for up to 300 people may now go ahead.
• Spontaneous gatherings of up to 30 people are now permitted.
• All leisure and entertainment businesses and tourist attractions may reopen.
• The Federal Council has also decided to end the extraordinary situation under the terms of the Epidemics Act with effect from 19 June.

The Federal Council began to ease measures to protect the population from COVID-19 on 27 April and 11 May. These two steps have had not resulted in an increase in epidemiological indicators. The number of new cases of infection has remained stable at a low level for a number of weeks now, as has the number of hospital admissions and deaths.

Ban on gatherings: 30 people instead of 5
The ban on gatherings in public, in particular in public spaces, promenades and parks is to be eased. As of 30 May, the upper limit will be
increased from 5 to 30 people.

The gathering of signatures in public will be allowed to resume from 1 June with a corresponding set of precautionary measures. A standard set of precautionary measures is available for initiative and referendum committees. Deadlines for submitting federal popular requests remain suspended until the end of May.

Events with up to 300 people allowed
From 6 June, private and public events with up to 300 people are to be allowed. This includes family events, fairs, concerts, theatre performances and film screenings, as well as political and civil society demonstrations.

The Federal Council will decide on events for up to 1000 people and the easing of further restrictions on 24 June. Large-scale events with more than 1000 people continue to be prohibited until 31 August.

Sports events allowed to resume
The same rules apply for sports events as for all other types of event. Competitions in sports involving continuous, close physical contact, such as Swiss-style wrestling, judo, boxing and dancing in pairs are likely to remain prohibited until 6 July. Training activities for all sports may resume without any restrictions on group sizes from 6 June. This also applies for sports activities involving close physical contact. Training sessions in these sports should be attended by regular teams and attendance lists kept.

Holiday camps for children and young people
Many camps are set to take place for children and young people during the summer months. And many local authorities also organise daylong programmes during the holidays. These activities will be allowed to go ahead from 6 June as long as appropriate sets of precautionary measures are in place. Children and young people should remain in the same groups wherever possible. The upper limit for camps is 300 people and organisers must keep an attendance list.

Mountain rail and cableways, campsites, zoos and swimming pools to reopen
Mountain rail and cableways, campsites and tourist attractions such as toboggan runs and rope parks may reopen from 6 June. The same hygiene and social distancing rules apply in mountain rail and cableways as for public transport. All leisure and entertainment businesses such as casinos, amusement parks, zoos and botanic gardens may reopen, as can swimming pools and spas… ”

We are looking forward to start using all the lifts around town and for all our fitness activities & services to fully run again!

About Subzero Coaching

We are a sport company specialized in ski instructor training and professional development. Based in Zermatt, we run camps in various locations in Europe.

Our services are also available to recreational skiers, looking to get better at skiing and making the most out their time on the mountains.

Our coaches are based in Zermatt through out the year, available for Private Ski Coaching as well as Personal Training, Massage therapy, Posture Alignment sessions.
Find out more about the Fitness Services here.

The Subzero Coaching Team