by Peter Mertz
ASPEN, the United States, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Ski slopes at the U.S. state of Colorado, which boasts some of the world's famous ski resorts, were empty on Monday, as the state governor issued an extraordinary executive order suspending all its ski operations over COVID-19 fears.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Saturday night ordered all 26 ski resorts in Colorado to close for a week beginning on Sunday, after Vail Resorts' announcement to shut down all its 37 ski resorts in North America and Australia.
"While we will be temporarily closed for business, we will be saving the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands of Coloradans in the days and weeks ahead," Polis said in a statement.
Although officials said they're on a "day-by-day, watch-and-wait" status, industry insiders told Xinhua that the 2019-2020 ski and snowboard season is over.
On Monday, four of Colorado's 26 resorts said they were done for the season, and Aspen Snowmass, a top resort in the United States, has offered "full refunds" for all cable car tickets, courses and activities.
Industry officials said they were worried that the one-week suspension would be changed to a permanent status, unless the country would see a sharp drop in the spread of COVID-19.
Polis' move won praise from many Coloradans, even those who oppose the governor's policies.
"The COVID-19 tsunami is imminent and must be mitigated. These next weeks are critical," Craig Silverman, a former deputy district attorney for Denver, wrote in The Colorado Sun on Monday.
"Immediately after Colorado experienced community spread, Polis acted decisively, declaring an emergency," he added.
However, the closure of ski resorts has also led to complaints.
"Thank you for making this announcement as we were driving in to Vail," Jeff Kottkamp, a Florida Republican and former lieutenant governor, tweeted ironically.
In a scathing rebuttal, Polis said: "Thank you for your deep concerns regarding the health of our residents in the face of a global pandemic."
Polis' decision impacted the ski workers across the state, causing tens of thousands of people to suddenly lose their jobs.
"We're heading home," said Fernando Vargas from Argentina, a temporary worker at Aspen, adding that "people were in tears about leaving Aspen, the announcement came so suddenly."
The U.S. ski industry employs about 78,230 people each year, with a total annual income of 20 billion U.S. dollars, according to a 2019 IBAS World report.
