Austria is in a tough corona lockdown.
Meanwhile, the situation in the hospitals remains precarious.
The news ticker.
Corona pandemic in Austria:
The Alpine republic has
imposed
a
tough lockdown
until December 6th
.
Austria's Chancellor
Sebastian Kurz
wants to get the
Corona *
infection
under control with mass tests before
Christmas
.
This
news ticker
has ended.
The continuation from December 1st can be found here.
Update from December 1, 12.30 p.m.:
On Wednesday, the
Austrian government
wants to
announce
the
end of the lockdown
, as
reported by
oe24.at.
However, the number of
infections
in the Alpine republic is still high.
Finally, the government should not even have ruled out postponing the reopening.
Corona in Austria: Schools before returning to normal operation
According to the report from the online portal,
retail
should
definitely be able to
reopen
from next week
.
The details are to be fine-tuned in tomorrow's negotiations.
There is a
stricter person restriction
in the shops in the
room
.
In addition, an
extension of the opening times
and the opening of shops on Sundays are being discussed.
The
elementary schools
in
Austria
should return to
normal operation
.
Education Minister
Heinz Faßmann has
already announced
new hygiene rules
.
There will be a mask requirement in the classes.
In addition, rooms are rented in order to have more space.
A return to normal operations is not yet certain for the middle schools and lower grades.
High school students
have
to
stay at home
even after the lockdown
and do not return to the classrooms for the time being.
In addition, the
catering
should also
remain
closed
.
The companies must continue to rely on delivery and collection service.
"
Body-hugging services
" are also prohibited.
That means that hairdressers, massage therapists, cosmetic and tattoo
parlors will
stay
even after the
lockdown
.
The same goes for
hotels
,
swimming pools
and
fitness centers
.
The opening of the
ski areas
and
sports facilities
is still to be discussed.
+
Federal Chancellor of Austria: Sebastian Kurz from the ÖVP.
© Herbert Neubauer / dpa
Corona in Austria: Ten free FFP2 protective masks for people over 65
Update from December 1, 9:40 a.m.:
To protect the elderly population from the
coronavirus
,
everyone over 65 years of age
in Austria should
receive
ten free FFP2 protective masks
.
According to one of the
amendments
submitted
to the
APA, the
Minister of Health
Rudolf Anschober
is to
be authorized to make these masks available.
The aim of the
mask campaign
is to enable the older population group, which needs special protection, "as low a threshold as possible to access high-quality respiratory protection masks", according to the motivation for the
application made
by the
ÖVP
and the
Greens
.
"The Austrian Post should
send
ten masks
directly to households
so that as
few contacts
as possible
are required by the target group to be protected in order to get to this important protective equipment," says the text of the draft law.
Corona in Austria: test refusal "seriously negligent"
Chancellor
Sebastian Kurz
criticized the refusal of some people to test due to the subsequent possible quarantine.
He described such behavior as "
seriously negligent
".
If you do not get tested because you do not want to be in
quarantine
, you accept that you may infect others with potentially serious health effects, Kurz said on Monday in an interview for the
Puls 4 / Puls 24 citizens' forum
.
Kurz is
hoping for the broadest possible
participation
in the
mass tests
that are now starting
.
They are the chance to "get through this crisis by the summer without remaining in permanent lockdown".
From an economic point of view, they are an “
extremely cheap means
”, as the
lockdown
costs
several billion euros every week.
In the federal state of
Salzburg
,
mass tests
for the
corona virus are
already starting today
.
Initially, however,
tests
will only take place in the
municipality of Annaberg-Lungötz
in Tennengau, the home of ski star Marcel Hirscher.
Corona in Austria: Hospitals with a dramatic letter to the government
Update from November 30th, 8:01 p.m
.: When
Rudolf Anschober
began his work as the new Austrian
Minister of Health
in January
, he could not yet know how much he would be in focus in the following months.
Until now.
The
Green politician
, together with Federal Chancellor
Sebastian Kurz
(ÖVP), is in charge of the corona measures that have come into force in the Alpine republic.
Now the 60-year-old is faced with criticism.
It comes from the health system of all places.
In a letter to the
Minister of Health
, the
heads of the nine Austrian public hospitals warned
against opening the door too quickly.
After the lockdown ended on December 6, measures should be taken to “reduce the incidence of infections and keep them at a low level,” reported the “Kleine Zeitung” beforehand.
The letter, which has not yet been sent, should be received by the Ministry of Health within the next two days.
+
Health Minister of Austria: Rudolf "Rudi" Anschober.
© Helmut Fohringer / dpa
In a dramatic appeal, the hospital bosses report that the second
wave of corona
has brought the "public hospitals to
the limit of
their capabilities".
It should therefore not go too quickly into normality.
Specifically, what is needed is a “significant and sustainable reduction in the number of infections and thus the hospitalization rate to relieve our staff”.
This is "urgent".
Low numbers are "inevitable for a step-by-step start and guarantee of normal operation."
The
corona situation in Austria
is still tense.
The number of active cases has been in the six-digit range since November 19.
According to calculations by the ORF, Germany's neighboring country currently has 108,782 active infections.
In addition, 3560 patients are currently being cared for in hospitals and 691 in intensive care units.
The letter to the health minister seems understandable.
Corona in Austria: mandatory vaccination in the country?
“Only solution” or “in no way acceptable”?
Update from November 30th, 1.40 p.m.:
Polarizing debate in
Austria
: The
ORF program Im Zentrum
was busy discussing the upcoming
vaccinations against the coronavirus
.
The focus: the demand of Irmgard Griss, the former President of the Supreme Court, for mandatory vaccination in the Alpine republic.
In this context, voluntariness is "counterproductive", explained the well-known lawyer and former member of the National Council
, in her view
,
compulsory vaccination
against
Corona
is "the only solution".
In contrast, said Wolf-Dieter Ludwig, the chairman of the drug commission of the German medical profession: "A
vaccination obligation
against the background of the vague data is in no way acceptable."
"One of the questions I keep hearing is: How can it be that a vaccine was developed so briefly? What they certainly haven't done is to reduce data at the expense of safety and effectiveness."
Vaccinologist Ursula Wiedermann-Schmidt #imzentrum pic.twitter.com/TMcIl6cROL
- IM ZENTRUM (@ORFImZentrum) November 30, 2020
Coronavirus pandemic in Austria: focus on corona risk groups - Covid-19 outbreak in old people's home
Update from November 30, 11:45 a.m.:
The
corona risk groups
are
still the focus of
the
coronavirus pandemic
in
Austria
.
After all, they have to be protected.
According to reports, this goal is sometimes not achieved at all.
The latest example: a nursing home in the Austrian Mürz Valley (
Styria
).
As the
Kleine Zeitung
from Graz reports, there was a
Covid-19 outbreak
in the St. Lorenzen nursing home
.
The result:
90 percent of the residents have
now
tested positive
for the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen.
In addition, three quarters of the staff have also tested positive or are in
quarantine
as first-degree contacts
, the report continues.
Mayor Petra Weberhofer (SPÖ) shared an "urgent call for help" on Facebook.
So "every conceivable help in the area of laundry service, senior entertainment, breakfast service, but also qualified nurses and nursing staff" would be required.
According to the
Kleine Zeitung,
the
Austrian Armed Forces are
sending
eight caregivers and three medical professionals so that the old people's home can care for the infected residents who are not hospitalized.
Corona pandemic in Austria: fuss about alleged job offer for Tyrolean après-ski bar
Update from November 30, 11:25 a.m.:
In the
Corona crisis
, the Public Employment Service (AMS) came under heavy criticism on social media.
The AMS fulfills
the function of a public employment office
in
Austria
.
According to a report in the
Kronen Zeitung
, the AMS is said to have offered a 50-year-old Viennese woman a job as a waitress in a
Tyrolean après-ski bar
.
A photo that is supposed to show the alleged letter from the authority is circulating on Twitter, among other places.
Even more: a user and a journalist confronted the head of the institution, Johannes Kopf, with the allegations.
Kopf did not deny these reports and simply replied on Twitter: “I'm sure it's the beginning.
Supraregional placement is a goal given to the AMS to improve the much higher unemployment in eastern Austria compared to the many vacancies in the west. ”The
AMS boss
responded to
the accusation that it should be an
après-ski bar
apparently not one.
Background: At the beginning of the
corona pandemic in Europe
, the
Tyrolean winter sports and party location Ischgl came
into focus because numerous partiers in the
après-ski bars of
the tourist hotspot were infected.
Austrian politicians recently declared that there would be no après-ski in the ski areas of the Alpine republic this winter.
I'm sure it's the beginning.
Supraregional placement is a goal given to the AMS in order to improve the much higher unemployment in eastern Austria compared to the many vacancies in the west.
- Johannes Kopf (@JohannesKopf) November 29, 2020
Corona pandemic in Austria: fewer new coronavirus infections between Vienna and Salzburg
Update from November 30, 11 a.m.:
The number of
new coronavirus infections
is
falling
in
Austria
.
According to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Interior, 2748 newly registered
corona cases were
found
in the Alpine republic within 24 hours (as of 9:30 a.m.)
.
The numbers are generally lower on Mondays because the weekend reporting systems have to be cleaned up.
Meanwhile,
79 new deaths
related to Covid-19 were added.
There were
701 corona patients in
the intensive care units of the Alpine republic on Monday
.
The hospitalization (4340 Covid-19 patients) is still very high, according to the authorities.
Corona pandemic in Austria: quarantine accommodations for possible tourists near Salzburg
Update from November 30th, 8:12 am
: It is still unclear whether
tourists
come to Austria
in winter
.
But the
state of Salzburg
has prepared itself.
In the
Salzburg ski area
, rooms and apartments are available as quarantine accommodation for guests.
As
ORF.at
reports, the accommodations are intended for winter tourists who tested positive for Covid-19 while on vacation.
The first
corona mass tests
start on Tuesday in Salzburg
(see first report from November 29th)
.
The 2,200-inhabitant town of Annaberg-Lungötz (Tennengau) is preparing to test the population.
Corona in Austria - More than 13 days in lockdown
"The situation is still very serious," said
Health Minister Rudi Anschober
about the current
Corona crisis in Austria
.
On the 13th day of the
lockdown
, the number of new infections fell, but it "is still at a dramatically high level".
The next week, Anschober describes as “a week that sets the course”.
“We not only have to continue the trend of falling numbers of new infections, but also massively intensify it,” explained Anschober.
Update from November 29, 3:35 p.m
.: In Vienna, the
corona mass tests will
begin
on December 4 - two days later than planned.
Preparations are in full swing.
The professional fire brigade has set up three larger test centers.
150,000 corona tests are to be carried out there every day.
+
Corona in Austria: Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) dampens hope for easing from December 7th (symbol photo).
© Roland Schlager / APA / dpa
Corona in Austria: Sebastian Kurz speaks of "further massive restrictions"
First report from November 29th:
Vienna - The
new corona infections are high in Austria
- still too high.
Despite curfew and closed shops.
The current
lockdown
is scheduled for December 6th, when it should finally be eased.
Austria's Chancellor
Sebastian Kurz,
however, slows down expectations for the time after.
"We will have to
live
with further
massive restrictions
after December 7th,
" Kurz said in an interview with the
Kleine Zeitung
in the Sunday edition.
"We will certainly not be able to take any hasty opening steps," said Austria's Chancellor.
He has always pleaded for a cautious approach, some interpreted it as scary.
The Austrian government wants to present the easing for December on Wednesday (December 2nd).
Schools and retail should open.
However, the infection numbers have to be right.
“The higher the number of infections, the more difficult it will be to take opening steps,” Kurz explains in an interview.
Austria wants to create more security
with
corona mass tests
.
Fear of the third lockdown: start corona mass test in Austria
In the coming week these will start in
Salzburg
.
Some federal states have brought the date forward.
The
capital Vienna is also
preparing to test 150,000 Viennese for the corona virus every day.
"The Covid mass test should be carried out in twelve days," said Vienna City Councilor for Health Peter Hacker.
A mammoth task for the city with around 1.9 million inhabitants.
Antigen tests * are used for the mass tests.
If a test is positive, a PCR test is used to check it.
"The higher the number of infections, the more difficult it will be ..."
Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz
Corona: Austria fears third lockdown - Kurz dampens hope for easing
A
third lockdown
must be prevented as much as possible, says Kurz.
The planned corona mass tests could be a great opportunity to localize the infection process and prevent new infections, he emphasizes.
It is initially unclear which further massive restrictions the population will have to adjust to.
Austrian media speak of a kind of "mid-lockdown" that shouldn't be soft, but not really hard either.
Despite the new infections, Chancellor Kurz still seems convinced that the corona pandemic will end.
“I said in August that we can get back to normal by next summer.
I'll stick with it, ”Kurz clarifies again in an interview.
In Austria, 4,047 new corona infections and 87 further deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Interior announced (as of November 29, 9:30 a.m.).
Austria: Corona case numbers according to AGES (data status: November 28, 2 p.m.)
So far,
247,275 people
in Austria have been shown to have been
infected with the
corona
virus.
2,822 deaths
have been recorded since the pandemic began.
There are
currently 116,383 active corona cases
in Austria.
According to AGES, 3,702 of them are in the hospital, 703 of them in the intensive care unit.
According to AGES, the 7-day incidence is currently
363.5
.
The Council of Ministers wants to adopt the new corona rules in Austria next Wednesday.
Until then there will probably still be some discussions.
Something is likely to change in trade and business.
Schools should probably return to face-to-face teaching.
When it comes to skiing, there is said to be a secret government plan before Christmas.
(
ml) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network
List of rubric lists: © Herbert Neubauer / dpa