STOWE, Vt. (AP) — The company that owns Vermont’s Stowe Mountain Resort ski area and 33 other resorts across the country is going to require that skiers be masked when indoors at the resorts in the upcoming ski season.

In an email to season pass holders this week, Vail Resorts announced that people ages 12 and over will be required to show proof of vaccination when eating at indoor, on-mountain, cafeteria-style restaurants, but not at full-service restaurants. All Vail Resorts employees will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

But unlike last year, skiers and riders will not have to make reservations ahead of time, and lifts and gondolas will operate at normal capacity.

“We are fortunate that the core of our experience takes place outdoors in vast mountain settings,” Rob Katz, Vail chairman and chief executive officer, said in a news release. “However, as we welcome guests from around the world to the indoor experience at our resorts, we feel it’s important to do our part to combat the spread of COVID-19.”

In addition to Stowe, in Vermont, Vail owns the Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow and Mount Snow in West Dover.

Vail owns four ski areas in New Hampshire, Attitash Mountain in Bartlett, Crotched Mountain in Bennington, Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury and Wildcat Mountain in Gorham.

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NUMBERS

On Wednesday, the Vermont Department of Health reported 121 new cases of the virus, bringing the statewide total since the pandemic began to nearly 32,080.

There were 48 people hospitalized, including 19 in intensive care.

The state has reported a total of 301 deaths.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Vermont has risen over the past two weeks from 160.71 on Sept. 6 to 219.29 on Sept. 20.

The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Vermont has risen over the past two weeks from 0.86 on Sept. 6 to 1.43 on Sept. 20.

The Associated Press is using data collected by Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering to measure outbreak caseloads and deaths across the U.S.

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