Strict exit regulations apply in Tyrol.
The Austrian state is looking for "patient 0" of the South African mutation.
The trail to southern Germany causes confusion.
In Austria, Tyrol is becoming a "restricted zone" due to the outbreak of the Corona mutation *.
(see first report)
Since Friday, leaving the Austrian state has only been possible with a negative corona test.
(see update February 12, 1:20 p.m.)
Tyrol is looking for the source of the South Africa mutation B.1.351 .. However, the intermediate result raises questions
(Update February 14, 11:59 am).
This news ticker is hereby ended.
You can find the continuation here.
Update from February 14, 11:59 a.m.:
Actually, light seemed to slowly come into the darkness.
After a massive outbreak of the highly contagious South African corona mutation in the Austrian Tyrol, a frenetic search for clues began.
With success - one now wants to know:
“Patient 0” came back on December 10th with a colleague from South Africa.
The two are said to have been on site for work for five weeks.
On the eleven-hour flight back, the Tyrolean and his colleague from southern Germany wore FFP2 face masks.
The two always left the seat between them free.
After landing at Munich airport, the southern German colleague tested positive at the airport.
It was not clear at the time that it was the South African mutation.
The Austrian colleague was then initially tested negative in Tyrol.
He then visited a friend in a clinic in Schwaz in Tyrol and then drove to his new home in Lower Austria.
He had recently moved.
After he himself developed severe symptoms a little later, it turned out that he too must have been infected during the trip to South Africa.
On December 23, the corona disease was detected in the friend he visited in the clinic.
In mid-January it was finally clear that it was the South African mutation.
This is what Gebhard Mair (Greens), a member of the Tyrolean Parliament, reports on ORF.
The only irritating thing is that the head of the investigation in Tyrol, Elmar Rizzoli, claims not to have known anything about the introduction from Bavaria, at least until Friday.
He told
OE24.at
that the authorities were following a “promising lead” that “geographically goes in a different direction”.
It is still unclear whether this has now been ruled out.
The only thing that is actually certain so far is that there are 453 suspected cases of the South African virus variant in Tyrol, 176 of which have been clearly confirmed.
Corona mutation in Tyrol: an entire country in the year after the first fall
Update from February 13, 10:10 a.m
.: Austria controls the exit from Tyrol.
Germany tightened its border controls from Sunday.
There is an entry stop to Bavaria.
There should be no exceptions.
However, many are concerned with one question: How did the South Africa mutation B.1.351 come to Tyrol in the first place?
There was a lot of speculation about it at first.
The Tyrolean authorities now have a hot lead.
Every hint is followed up "meticulously".
The investigations are in full swing, it says in a message headed "Trace to a possible source of the South African mutation in Tyrol".
Corona in Austria: Search for "Patient 1"
"The case zero in Tyrol goes back to a sample swab from a person in the Schwaz district on December 23, 2020," said the state of Tyrol.
The infected person was symptom-free and was routinely tested before an operation, reports Austrian media.
But this man had previously met an acquaintance who had previously been in South Africa on business for five weeks.
This is also confirmed by the state of Tyrol.
A corona case in Schwaz was previously considered "patient 1".
As it now turns out, an infection could have occurred during the visit after the trip to South Africa.
Corona mutation in Austria - trace goes to southern Germany
On December 10, 2020, the person - the acquaintance - is "back from their professional trip from South Africa and landed at the airport in Munich." The South African traveler is apparently a woman from Lower Austria, like from the Message from the state of Tyrol can be read out.
The woman was apparently infected on the flight (11 hours flight time) from her neighbor - a colleague from South Africa.
During the flight, both would have worn FFP2 masks.
According to the information, there was a seat between the two on the plane.
The person sitting next to him - a German from southern Germany - had tested positive for the corona virus at Munich Airport.
The Austrian claims to have arranged a PCR test in a private laboratory in Tyrol on the same day.
The result was negative.
"After the negative test, the previous alleged Tyrolean case zero in the Schwaz district was visited," explains the state of Tyrol.
On December 11, 2020, the Austrian developed an increased temperature after intensive research by the Tyrolean authorities and had a fever of 39 degrees on December 12, 2020.
On December 14, 2020, the woman had herself swabbed in a test street in Lower Austria and tested positive.
The Covid 19 infection was so severe that the person had to be treated in the local state hospital.
However, there is a catch: "In this case, it is no longer possible to detect it by sequencing, as the corresponding samples are no longer available for sequencing." Whether the German's PCR sample still exists at Munich Airport is initially clear still unknown.
“It is important for us to emphasize that the surveys are not about looking for someone to blame.
The only thing is to understand possible chains of infection as best as possible and to follow up on all indications so that the more contagious mutations cannot spread further, ”said the district captain of Schwaz Michael Brandl.
In Tyrol, the number of mutation cases confirmed by full or partial sequencing has risen to 219, reports the ORF.
176 of them were already fully sequenced, 43 partially sequenced, the country announced on Friday.
Corona in Austria: Tyrol officially "virus mutation area" - railway creates first facts
Update from February 12, 6:31 p.m.:
Germany has already tightened controls at the borders with Austria and the Czech Republic.
Now the Deutsche Bahn (DB) reacted and stopped long-distance traffic to Tyrol and the Czech Republic for the time being.
Due to the new Corona rules, the DB regional trains and the wagons of the Bavarian Regiobahn (BRB) no longer go to the Austrian state.
How to deal with trains destined for the Czech Republic has not yet been finally clarified, the two companies said in a statement on Friday.
One is still in the exchange, said a spokesman.
The Eurocitys Munich - Innsbruck - Verona and Hamburg - Berlin - Prague will definitely be canceled from 00.00 on Sunday.
"Due to the new official pandemic requirements for entry and exit, the cross-border transports from DB Regio to Tyrol have been stopped on February 12, 21", it said with regard to regional transport to Austria.
That concerns connections to Innsbruck and Reutte.
BRB trains on the Munich-Kufstein route meanwhile turn in Kiefersfelden station on the Bavarian border.
Corona in Austria: Tyrol officially "virus mutation area" - Green politician attacks Söder
Update from February 12th, 4:39 pm:
The Austrian state of Tyrol was officially classified by Germany as a "virus mutation area" on Thursday.
The day before, Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder had accused those responsible in the region of inaction.
"I am worried that there is a risk of a second Ischgl," said the Bavarian head of state in the ZDF "heute-journal".
Sharp criticism of Söder's statements came from Tyrol.
"Perhaps Mr. Söder is not exactly informed about everything," said the group chairman of the Greens in Tyrol, Gebi Mair, the ZDF.
"If he has constructive contributions on how we can overcome the mutations, he is warmly welcome," said the angry Green politician in the direction of Söder.
Corona in Austria: Entry from Tyrol to Germany only with a negative Corona test
Update from February 12, 1:20 p.m.:
Since Friday, leaving the state of Tyrol for Germany or to neighboring Austrian states has only been possible with a negative corona test, which must not be older than 48 hours.
This rule also applies to commuters.
The ten-day government measure in Vienna is intended to help prevent the South African corona mutation from spreading in Tyrol.
"So far only very few people have had to be turned away," said a spokeswoman for the Tyrolean police department on Friday.
Test stations are available at some crossings where the rejected can still do a rapid antigen test.
The traffic volume is comparable to normal times, it said.
+
At Kufstein exit controls are carried out at the border with Germany.
© Daniel Liebl / dpa
Corona in Austria: Germany declares Tyrol to be a virus mutation area - strict border controls announced
On Thursday, Tyrol was classified as a so-called virus mutation area by the German Federal Ministry of the Interior.
From Sunday there will be strict border controls in order to enforce the related transport and entry bans.
Government circles said on Friday that possible exceptions for entries are currently being coordinated between the various ministries.
The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had already said on Wednesday in the ZDF “heute journal”: “We are very insecure about Austria.” He was concerned that the South African virus variant from Tyrol could also spread in Bavaria.
“That is why we have now asked the federal government to declare them to be mutation areas,” Söder said on Thursday in the ZDF program “Markus Lanz” *.
He emphasized about the measures: "The borders will not be closed, but the security issue will be increased."
Virus mutation area Tyrol: Spahn describes this measure as "unavoidable"
Germany's Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) also spoke at the federal press conference on Friday about the classification of Tyrol as a virus mutation area.
"We have to protect our country from the entry of further viruses," he said.
"This measure hurts," said Spahn.
But it is "unavoidable for a certain time".
Most of the cases of the South African corona variant in Tyrol were detected in the Schwaz district.
This is directly on the German border with the districts of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen and Miesbach.
Corona in Austria: Already 438 South Africa cases in Tyrol
Update from February 11, 2:46 p.m
.: The state of Tyrol has published current data on the South African corona mutations.
The announcement states that there were “a total of 438 confirmed and partly unconfirmed cases
the South Africa mutation in Tyrol ”.
The infection cases relate to a period from December 23rd to February 9th.
There are 176 South Africa mutations confirmed with full sequencing by AGES, 14 partially sequenced cases that have a high probability of a South Africa mutation and 248 preselected suspected cases that have a PCR suspicion of the South Africa mutation and are now partially or . be fully sequenced.
It also states that of these 262 preselected and partially sequenced cases or suspected cases, there is a total of 141 active positives.
Based on experience to date, the majority of these cases would be confirmed.
"This results in a current number of 145 active positives in all confirmed cases and suspected cases of the South African mutation in Tyrol," says the message.
There are now suspected cases in each of the nine Tyrolean districts, most of them in the Schwaz district.
Corona in Austria: The Federal Army controls the exclusion zone in Tyrol
Update from February 11, 1:55 p.m.:
In Tyrol, around 1200 police officers and soldiers will be used for exit controls because of the coronavirus mutant from Friday.
A spokesman for the state police department announced on Thursday that the infrastructure for the control points is still being worked on.
To leave Tyrol, a negative corona test is required for ten days from Friday, which must not be older than 48 hours.
According to previous information, children as well as goods traffic and transit without a stopover are exempt from this rule.
The rule applies both to the border with Bavaria and the other Austrian federal states.
Corona in Austria: Situation in Tyrol unsettles Söder - concern about "second Ischgl"
First report from February 11:
Vienna - In Austria, the outbreak of the South African corona mutation in Tyrol is polarizing.
Strict travel restrictions apply to the state from Friday.
For at least ten days, people are only allowed to leave Tyrol with a negative Corona test *, which must not be older than 48 hours.
The western state is thus becoming a "restricted zone", while the lockdown * has been relaxed throughout the country since Monday.
The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) was also concerned about the situation in the neighboring country after the corona summit of the federal and state governments on Wednesday evening.
“We are very insecure in Austria,” he said in the ZDF “heute journal”.
He is watching developments very closely.
"In Tyrol, one hears, nobody cares," said Söder about the corona measures adopted by the government in Vienna for the state bordering Bavaria.
+
Bavaria's Prime Minister is considering border closings due to the spread of the Corona mutation in Tyrol.
(Archive image)
© Hans Klaus Techt / dpa
"I'm worried that there is a risk of a second Ischgl," the Bavarian Prime Minister clarified.
Söder also stated that border closings with Austria are possible if the neighboring country, such as Great Britain or Portugal, is defined as a "virus mutation area".
Skiing holidays in the affected areas in Tyrol have once again proven to be a source of infection in the corona pandemic *.
"In this respect, we will have to pay close attention to the issue," said Söder.
Corona in Austria: Criticism of the government's actions - "Door and gate open to the new virus"
In Austria, the handling of the outbreak of the corona mutation in Tyrol is also causing severe criticism.
SPÖ party chairman Pamela Rendi-Wagner criticized the German government's hesitant action in the corona pandemic * on Wednesday.
The long inactivity in Tyrol and the premature opening have "opened the door to the new virus".
+
Party leader of the SPÖ: Pamela Rendi-Wagner.
© Georg Hochmuth / dpa
Experts have been warning against the South African variant in Tyrol for weeks, explained Rendi-Wagner.
Nevertheless, the government had only been negotiating for a long time and the measures to contain the mutation will only come into force at the end of the week.
“These measures for Tyrol come much too late and are epidemiologically toothless.
You will not prevent what should have been prevented, "said the SPÖ leader.
In addition, Rendi-Wagner sharply criticized the dispute between those responsible at the federal and state level and called for cooperation.
“We are all Tyrol, we are all Austria.
New virus variants affect us all.
We must therefore pull together resolutely, ”she demanded.
The SPÖ leader pleaded for an end to the “muscle games and power struggles of the federal government against the state government and vice versa”.
(ph) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital editorial network
List of rubric lists: © Expa / Jfk / APA / dpa
