200 students’ Easter plans ruined as Sheff Uni ski trip cancelled over coronavirus

The annual Sheffield University Easter ski trip has been cancelled at last minute over the coronavirus crisis.

Some 214 students were due to be heading to the Grandvalira ski resort in Andorra on April 3, but it has now been temporarily shut down as an outbreak of the deadly illness sweeps Europe.

SheffSki, the university ski club, had been liaising with the uni, but after their decision to ban global travel this week the society decided to not search for an alternative destination for their trip.

“We understand your frustration and disappointment with this news,” the club said in a statement on Facebook. “We feel the risk at this stage is far too great to move the event. We have spent months planning what was set to be the biggest and best A2A yet, with some incredible things happening, so its with heavy hearts we have to write this.”

Hundreds of Sheff students go on the mega trip every year

It leaves hundreds of students’ Easter holiday plans in tatters. First-year business student Charlie told The Tab Sheffield: “I was just gutted about it because everyone I’ve spoken to that have gone on [the trip] say it’s one of the best holidays you’ll ever have.”

It comes as students on exchange from the University of Sheffield have been told they can return without their grades being affected, before travel bans kick in, as the uni announced it is ending all international field trips and travel until further notice.

Covid-19 cases jumped by 200 to hit 1,372 on Saturday with the death toll climbing to 35. A total of 40,279 people have been tested in the UK.

It’s always a favourite (loads of skiing involved…)

The company that organised the trip, Wasteland Ski, are currently looking at refund options and if anyone has any questions about refunds, they should contact them on either their live chat service or through their email [email protected].

Andorran authorities have been following suit, closing all four of their resorts in the Pyrenees. France officially closed their mountains for skiing at midnight on Saturday, alongside Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Austria.

Many UK holiday-goers who had been skiing in Italy, which is now the second worst affected country of Covid-19, were on their return placed in self-isolation immediately on their return.

Earlier today it emerged that 225 York Uni students were told their ski resort in France closed at midnight just hours after they’d arrived. On one particular ski trip 17 out 24 Brits ended up testing positive for the virus.

York and Notts ski trips have been cancelled due to Covid-19 too

The University of Sheffield announced on Friday that a member of staff in the Arts Tower had tested positive for the Coronavirus, and levels 10-19 of the building are on lockdown and are being cleaned. Cases in the city jumped by ten to 13 today, Public Health England confirmed.

It prompted the uni to cancel all face-to-face teaching from Monday until further notice, with Hallam also moving teaching online from next Monday 23 March following a transition period this week.

For advice about what to do if you’re worried you have symptoms related to Covid-19 visit; https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

If you are self-isolating, the Government’s advice can be found here on how to deal with it can be found here.

All photos: SheffSki Facebook page

Latest on coronavirus in Sheffield:

– Hallam cancels classes

– Sheffield Uni cancels face-to-face teaching

– Sheffield Hallam Uni faces criticism over slow response to coronavirus crisis