VIENNA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st October, 2020) Prosecutors of the Austrian city of Innsbruck have launched an investigation into four people over a mishandled outbreak of COVID-19 in the Ischgl ski resort which entailed thousands of infections across Europe transmitted by departing guests, media in Austria reported on Wednesday.
Ischgl is located in a picturesque Alpine height in Austria's western state of Tyrol. It is a popular ski resort that attracts tens of thousands of people all across Europe every season. In late February, local media reported that several staff members had tested positive for the coronavirus, but failed to make it known to the health authorities, which led to rapid and large-scale spread of the infection, including outside Europe.
The Austria Presse Agentur (APA) reported, citing Innsbruck Prosecutor's Office, that four suspects are currently being probed on charges of negligence and endangering human life.
Last week, Austrian consumer rights activist Peter Kolba said that at least 32 tourists had died due to contracting COVID-19 in Ischgl. According to the watchdog, tourists who got infected at the Austrian ski resort now filed lawsuits with a Vienna court to demand compensation. He said some of the lawsuits raised the bar to 100,000 Euros ($117,000).
