The health ministry said in a statement that the newly-reappointed Minister Roberto Speranza had signed a measure prolonging the ban on recreational skiing at resorts until March 5.
Ski resorts in Italy’s lower-risk “yellow zones” had been due to reopen on Monday, however the last-minute decision to keep them closed follows reccomendations from the technical scientific committee (CTS) advising the government on the coronavirus crisis.
New data shows that the British variant of the coronavirus now represents, on average, 17.8 per cent of new infections in Italy.
“Concern about the spread of this and other variants of SARS-CoV-2 has led to similar measures being taken in France and Germany,” the ministry said.
The news will be a blow to ski resorts which had been geared up to reopen after having had no business since the start of the season.
The health ministry said it would begin compensating ski lift operators as soon as possible.
