Court trial over Alpine 'superspreader' party town
The first of over a dozen court trials have begun regarding an Austrian party town -- known as the "Ibiza of the Alps" -- that became a massive COVID superspreader early in the pandemic.
It's believed that thousands of foreign tourists were infected in the town of Ischgl, known for its nightlife, music concerts, sun, and snow.
It's in those packed venues where the disease took hold.
The first lawsuit in Vienna is being brought against the Austrian government by the family of a man who died of COVID after vacationing in Ischgl.
They allege that the government bungled its response early in the pandemic, acting too slowly and then inappropriately, including a quarantine of the resort that led to massive exodus instead.
The first COVID case was detected in Ischgl in early March 2020, but it was days after infections in Iceland were already traced there.
It also came 11 days after Austria reported its own first infections.
Regional authorities say they did act appropriately, given what was known of the disease at the time.
The family is seeking $118,000 in damages and is backed by an Austrian consumer group.
