Corona: Austria's Chancellor Kurz pulls the emergency brake - and is now announcing how he wants to "save" Christmas

The corona situation in Austria is still serious.

The hospitals are reaching their limit.

Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces mass tests after tough lockdown.

• Coronavirus in Austria

  : The 

  second wave * of

   the 

  corona pandemic * is

   causing high numbers of infections.

• The Alpine republic is now pulling

  the emergency brake

  with a

  second lockdown

  .

• Austria's Chancellor Kurz announces corona mass tests.

• Experts warn that the

  capacity limit of

  many

  hospitals could

  soon be reached.

• This

  news ticker

  is updated regularly.

Update from November 16, 8:04 a.m

.: On Tuesday

goes

into the second lockdown.

The corona infection rate has exploded in the past few days.

The

is currently 543.4, according to the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES).

According to ORF, there are currently “4,006 sick people in hospital treatment, 581 of them in intensive care”.

The Austrian broadcaster also reports that a larger number will probably be reported on Tuesday.

The epidemiological reporting system (EMS) could not be reached for several hours due to maintenance.

Corona in Austria: Chancellor Kurz announces mass tests

Update from November 15, 12:18 p.m

.: Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz wants to

save Christmas

with

.

In the

press hour on Sunday (November 15), Kurz announced corona mass tests after the lockdown and in "larger form" again before Christmas.

Towards the

in Austria (on December 6th) and

, there should be

in the population similar to those in

.

"At the end of the week, we as the federal government want to provide more information about the exact plan," said Kurz on

.

The Austrian Chancellor announced that mass tests are to be carried out for teachers and in certain groups.

The goal is "to be able to unlock again as safely as possible on December 7th".

Austria is planning another mass test before Christmas.

"For many people it is a matter

close to their hearts,

at least in a small circle, to spend Christmas with their loved ones in a

reasonably

dignified manner," said Kurz in the

Talk.

Nobody is interested in meeting their parents or grandparents at Christmas and then infecting them.

Coronavirus: Austria breaks 1000 mark - Chancellor Kurz pulls the emergency brake

Update from November 15, 9.24 a.m

.:

pulls the emergency brake.

Schools, shops and sports facilities are closed on Tuesday (November 19)

The

is loud

Health and Food Safety Agency (AGES) at

(as of Saturday 2 p.m.).

"Austria's hospitals shortly before Corona collapse" headlines the Austrian media

.

According to AGES, there are 106,463 active corona cases in Austria.

3,355 Covid-19 patients are in the hospital, 567 of them in the intensive care unit.

Corona infections are rising unchecked in the former model student in the first corona wave.

According to data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Austria has exceeded the 1000 mark in new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within the past 14 days.

With a value of

, Austria with its 14-day incidence is well ahead of France (881.2) and Spain (581.4).

In Luxembourg (1316.8) and the Czech Republic (1224.0) is still ahead of Austria.

Corona in Austria: “Don't meet anyone!” Chancellor Kurz announces a drastic lockdown

Update from November 14th, 7:38 p.m.:

The Catholic Church is also taking part in the announced

and is suspending

for the time being.

That said the chairman of the Austrian Bishops' Conference and Salzburg Archbishop

 in an interview with the Kathpress press agency (Saturday).

"Similar to the lockdown in spring, the churches will remain open for personal prayer," said Lackner.

As in the spring, church services could "only be celebrated in locked rooms and in the smallest circle on behalf of the congregation".

+

Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced a second corona lockdown.

© Herbert Neubauer / APA / AFP

Coronavirus in Austria: Government announces second lockdown - the measures at a glance

Update from November 14th, 5.40 p.m.:

At a press conference, Chancellor

, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer, Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler and Health Minister Rudolf Anschober informed about the

, which will come into force on Tuesday (November 17).

“There is

” emphasized Kurz.

The high numbers of infections and the

decisive for the tough measures

.

The measures at a glance:

• The

  contact restrictions

  are tightened.

  Accordingly, apart from members of your own household, you can only meet your partner, individual close relatives or important caregivers.

  Kurz made it drastically clear that you should have contact with as few people as possible:

  “Don't meet anyone!”

  The curfew applies around the clock.

  You should only leave the house to go to work, go shopping or get some fresh air.

• Trade:

  All shops are closed.

  This does not apply to pharmacies, drug stores, post offices, banks and grocery stores.

  Shops with body-hugging services such as

  hairdressers

  and

  beauty salons

  have to close.

• Schools

  and

  kindergartens

  are closed.

  However,

  emergency care

  should continue to be guaranteed.

  The schools are switching to “Distance Learning”.

Our goal: On December 7th, compulsory schools and retail should be the first to reopen after the lockdown.

One thing is clear: Nobody wants schools, restaurants, shops, etc. to be closed.

But we have to take this step together.

Let's help together!

- Sebastian Kurz (@sebastiankurz) November 14, 2020

Corona virus in Austria: Chancellor Kurz gives details on the second lockdown

Update from November 14th, 5:14 pm:

The politicians are aware that the renewed restrictions are a burden for all people.

"It teases everyone to adhere to the regulations," says Nehammer.

Nevertheless, these are now necessary to relieve the hospitals.

Update from November 14,

Interior Minister

It will be a challenge, according to Nehammer, with regard to home office, distance learning and the contact restrictions that have been agreed.

“It takes a solidarity,” he warns.

Austria decides on a "hard lockdown": the health minister names the central goal

Update from November 14th, 5:10 pm:

By December, they want to achieve “a stable situation” in Austria.

For this, a decrease in the number of new infections is necessary.

In addition, the

reduced

, announced Anschober.

The health minister makes it clear that the corona situation should be largely stable until a vaccine arrives.

Update from November 14th, 5:07 p.m.:

In the coming weeks one will concentrate on one

: to drastically reduce the contacts.

warns the Minister of Health.

If you fail to do this, the health system will be overloaded in a way that has not existed in the last few decades.

“I am convinced that we can do it together.

Whoever manages it once can do it a second time. "

Update from November 14, 5:03 p.m.:

In the past two weeks, the situation in the hospitals has worsened and the number of patients there has doubled.

There are already the first bottlenecks.

“We have a very strong hospital system.

But it is reaching its limits. ”Therefore, an emergency brake is now needed.

“We must and we will push back the virus together,” emphasizes Anschober.

The “hard lockdown” is the

.

Update from November 14th, 5 pm:

"The

is harder," says Health Minister

.

“We now have to

the

take the chance and bring the infection curve down.” Using the example of the Czech Republic, Anschober shows that it is possible to get the corona situation under control with a “hard lockdown”.

The number of cases in Austria had recently increased "explosively".

Coronavirus in Austria: "The situation in our hospitals is worrying"

Update from November 14th, 4:52 p.m.:

The government wants to secure jobs and ensure comprehensive support for companies, Werner Kogler also announced.

"We are aware that this is bad news for the companies concerned," said Kogler.

"But we will not leave you alone." The trade should get 20 to 60 percent of the sales losses compensated.

Update from November 14th, 4:50 p.m.:

It's all about the health of everyone, said Vice Chancellor

It is "an imposition for all of us", but it is now about saving lives.

The measures taken so far would not have been sufficient to improve the corona situation.

“It's really serious.

says Kogler.

“Reduce your physical contacts.

Work from home as much as possible.

Don't meet, ”he appeals.

With regard to schools, there will continue to be childcare for children up to 14 years of age.

“The schools remain open to those who need it,” announced Kogler.

Kindergartens are also included here.

Otherwise you will switch to digital teaching.

Update from November 14th, 4.44 p.m.:

The lockdown applies from Tuesday (November 17th) up to and including December 6th.

“We have to take this step together.

If we help together, we can turn the trend around, ”said Chancellor Kurz.

Coronavirus in Austria: Second lockdown decided - "extremely drastic" measures

Update from November 14th, 4:41 pm:

The trade will be closed in this "hard lockdown".

This does not apply to pharmacies, grocery stores and drug stores, announced Sebastian Kurz.

Hairdressers also have to close their shops.

The school will switch to digital teaching.

The

are also tightened.

“My urgent request is: don't meet anyone,” appealed Kurz.

"I know that these measures are extremely radical," said Kurz.

But this is the only way to prevent overloading the health system.

"Even if nobody

wants

a

, this is the only means that we know will work," emphasized Chancellor Kurz.

Update from November 14th, 4:36 pm:

At the beginning of the press conference, Chancellor

speaks

of a "very hard time".

In Austria, an average of 7,000 new infections per day have recently been recorded.

The authorities could no longer trace 77 percent of the new infections.

“If we don't react massively, then the numbers will continue to rise”.

This in turn would overload the health system, said Kurz.

One must now make further restrictions.

There will be "a second lockdown like in spring," said the Chancellor.

Update from November 14th, 4.15 p.m.:

An easing of the corona situation in

does not seem to be in sight.

Due to the high number of infections and to prevent the hospitals from being overburdened, tougher protective measures should be taken.

A “hard lockdown” is in the room.

At 4.30 p.m., Chancellor

, Interior Minister

, Vice Chancellor

and Health Minister

announce the new measures at a press conference.

According to a report by "oe24.at", these should apply from Tuesday (November 17th) to December 6th.

Corona in Austria: Now the complete lockdown is coming!

Details of the Kurz government's new plan leaked

Update from November 14, 12.09 p.m

.: Just before the Austrian government around

wants to announce

stricter

for the country

this Saturday

, the Austrian portal

reports

from the

that he says he has.

According to the report, these restrictions are planned from November 17 to December 6:

• Output restrictions

  are extended from the night to the day.

• Apart from

  your

  own

  household

  , personal meetings are only allowed with

  your partner

  and “individual closest

  relatives

  ” or “caregivers”.

• One may only

  leave the

  house for

  visits to the doctor

  , purchases to “cover necessary basic needs” and work “if this is necessary”.

• In

  hospitals

  , only one visit per week and patient should be allowed - provided that it is

  admitted

  for

  more than seven days

  .

• Most stores are supposed to close, exceptions apply to

  grocery stores

  , drug stores and

  pharmacies

  .

According to the report, the draft regulation omits the issue of

, which is to be regulated by the Ministry of Education.

wants to know that all schools are

to

and are only

supposed to offer

.

The majority of kindergartens should also close.

+

Austria's government with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) is considering tightening the partial lockdown in the country due to the corona crisis.

© Hans Punz / APA / dpa

Coronavirus crisis: Austria's government wants to tighten the partial lockdown

Update from November 14, 7:06 a.m

.: In Austria,

continue to rise to a record level - and Austria is now planning to tighten the

in the country

.

The federal government around Chancellor

and Vice Chancellor

wants to

announce

this Saturday from 4.30 p.m.

Whether these are closings of shops and schools, as the media speculated, remained open before.

Further

similar to the strict measures in spring are also considered possible.

+

Werner Kogler (lr), Austria's Vice Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, Federal Chancellor of Austria, and Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (archive photo): What corona measures is the government planning in Vienna?

© Herbert Neubauer / APA / dpa

Corona: The situation in Austria is becoming more and more dramatic - a complete "lockdown" is apparently imminent

Update from November 13, 5:06 p.m.:

Due to rising

after a week and a half of

,

is planning to

tighten the measures.

The government wants to announce details this Saturday, as the

confirmed

to the

on Friday

.

According to media reports, a press conference is planned for the afternoon.

According to information from the

, there will be a joint appearance by Chancellor

with Vice Chancellor

, Minister of Health

and Minister of the Interior

, in which the details of the tightened or new

presented.

Accordingly, a "hard lockdown" is expected to come from next Tuesday.

The

is said to have already agreed to

.

As in the spring, the food sector, drugstores, banks and pharmacies should be excluded.

If the

situation allows, the shops should be allowed to reopen for Christmas, the

reports

.

On the other hand, the complete

and the changeover of all students to distance learning

should be controversial

.

Chancellor

should be convinced of the importance of this measure, Health Minister

and Education Minister

against it.

The

spoke at their meeting on Thursday against school closures and for "more lenient measures", such as a

in the classroom, out.

+

Experts and hospital staff warn against reaching the capacity limits of hospitals in Austria.

(Archive image)

© picture alliance / unknown / SALK / APA / dpa

Corona in Austria: Another high for the number of new infections

Update from November 13, 3:22 p.m.:

On Friday, the authorities in Austria reported a new high in the number of new corona infections.

In total, there were

from Thursday to Friday.

There are currently

in hospital treatment,

in

.

The number of

for the respective

at a glance:

• Vienna

  : 1902

• Upper Austria

  : 1891

• Lower Austria

  : 1123

• Carinthia

  : 1006

• Vorarlberg

  : 975

• Styria

  : 944

• Salzburg

  : 837

• Tyrol

  : 727

• Burgenland

  : 184

Corona in Austria: the situation is becoming more and more dramatic

First report from November 13th:

Vienna - On Thursday,

again set a new

for the number of

new

.

With

the previous days,

within one day.

The weekly average is likely to be well over 7,000 daily infections and thus

exceed

the capacities of

in the near future

.

Around half of the available

in

are already occupied.

Experts and hospital staff have expressed concern about the situation.

Corona in Austria: Expert describes the situation in hospitals

Dr.

Günter Weiss

is an infectiologist and director of internal medicine at the

.

On Thursday he described in the television program

how critical the situation in

is.

"I assume that in two weeks the number will not double, but will be significantly higher," warned the expert.

In

, 60 percent of the

are already

occupied.

In addition, the

is also

a problem.

“We haven't been doing anything else for eight months and the people are bleeding out somehow in the truest sense of the word.

The employees become weary because they are always dealing with this topic, they don't think about anything else for 24 hours, ”explained

.

He appealed to the population

to take

the

seriously.

Corona in Austria: Clinic staff report on Facebook with an appeal

The staff at the

in

in

to the population

via Facebook

.

In their posting they make it clear that the situation is serious.

The

asks for

: “We at Klinikum Freistadt urgently ask!

EVERYONE HELP! ”In addition, four pictures are attached showing the staff treating

patients.

"If the virus continues to spread so quickly and the number of Covid patients who come to the hospital at the same time keeps increasing, the health system will reach its limits," warns the hospital staff.

Corona in Austria: "Hard lockdown" should come

At the weekend in

a "

" is to be negotiated, as reported by several media.

That would mean a partial closure for trading and

also during the day.

The effects of the

so far

are not yet reflected in the number of

.

“The impact is currently very, very low.

We hoped that the measures are more effective, "said

, a member of the forecasting team is the Ministry of Health, opposite

.

A decision should therefore be made on the basis of today's data.

Peter Klimek

is a physicist and also a member of the

.

He

explained to the

that the chaos of late registrations

made it difficult to

draw conclusions about the

the

.

"Right now, when we have to assess whether further measures are necessary, it is impossible to say whether the existing ones are working," said

.

However, it is clear: “We can rule out that the number of cases will drop drastically.

The aim must be to lower it - the only tool we know is the lockdown. ”

List of rubric lists: © Screenshot ORF