On 14 March 2020, all ski areas, ski facilities, touristic sites & more were closed in the Chamonix valley, in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19.
As of 18 March 2020, the PGHM of Chamonix will patrol the Mont-Blanc massif, to make sure that everyone complies with the new regulations.
PGHM of Chamonix patrolling the Mont-Blanc massif
"We are going to team up with our fellow gendarmes to do surveillance and prevention", explains the High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon (PGHM) from Chamonix.
Four PGHM teams will patrol the Mont-Blanc massif, particularly around the climbing and skiing sites, to "ensure that people do not access the mountains".
Those who violate the new measures imposed by the government will be fined.
Besides limiting the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, these new restrictions aim at ensuring that medical staff from hospitals can devote themselves to patients suffering from coronavirus, as much as possible. (Le Dauphine)
Some do not respect the coronavirus lockdown
Indeed, these measures are imperative. Not everyone seems to comprehend the importance of the current state of lockdown in France. Moreover, several accidents happened since the lockdown was instated, accidents which overcrowd the already busy rescue & medical services.
According to Radio Mont-Blanc, on 17 March 2020, one day before the gendarmes started patrolling, fifteen people participated in a picnic in Saint-Genis. In Méry, near Aix-les-Bains, a soccer match was improvised.
Even worse, a snowshoe hiker was injured in Bellevaux. A helicopter was mobilized to transport her to Contamine-sur-Arve hospital.
And in Les Contamines-Montjoie, a fifty-year-old ski hiker died in the Bérangère corridor. He unscrewed for almost 200 meters (656 ft) before jumping a rock bar.
Read also - COVID-19: How to get reimbursed for Ski Lift Passes?
