In early March, more than 10,000 infections across Europe traced back to ski resorts in Tyrol, most of them to Ischgl. It’s a beautiful village that lives entirely off winter tourism. But when the first cases were confirmed, authorities didn’t contain the spread. Why? Instead of acting, they downplayed + outright lied about the risks when they were very well aware that a COVID-infected barkeeper who’d been coughing + sneezing for a week while serving hundreds of tourists in a packed apres-ski bar must have transmitted the virus.

In 2015, the last time Vienna headed to the polls, the far right and Heinz-Christian Strache garnered 30+%. I covered him then, and the thousands of supporters who cheered him on at Saint Stephen‘s square. This time, it‘s a totally different affair: google.at/amp/s/amp.rfi.… Preliminary results now showing Strache at 4%, below the 5% threshold to get into city council.

Tourists from the US and the UK who got Covid19 said they wouldn't have traveled to #Ischgl /St Anton if they'd known what authorities knew at the time. They were left in the dark. Moreover: They are upset that there's no accountability. washingtonpost.com/world/europe/a… I interviewed the Tyrol politician responsible. He said they could have done a better job at informing tourists, that they'd need to have more "weltmännische" communications. Though the province basically lives off tourism, he said he was surprised how "international" it was.