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Corona in Austria: researchers stunned after easing - Salzburg pulls the emergency brake

2021-03-03T04:25:56.358Z


In Austria, significant easing was decided at the Corona summit on Monday. A federal state, on the other hand, has to tighten the measures in several places.


In Austria, significant easing was decided at the Corona summit on Monday.

A federal state, on the other hand, has to tighten the measures in several places.

  • The number of new corona infections * in Austria continues to rise.

  • Nevertheless, significant regional easing was decided on Monday at the Corona * summit.

    (see update from March 1st, 7 p.m.)

  • In the federal state of Salzburg there is an exit restriction in two municipalities.

    (Update from March 2nd, 5:50 p.m.)

  • This news ticker is updated regularly.

Update from March 2, 5.10 p.m.:

The Austrian state of Salzburg has tightened the corona measures due to the very high number of infections in two communities.

As the state announced, people in Radstadt and Bad Hofgastein are only allowed to leave the place with conditions.

Anyone over the age of 16 can only travel with a negative corona test, which must be a maximum of 48 hours old.

In addition, a two-week exit restriction will apply to both municipalities from Thursday, midnight.

Radstadt currently has a seven-day incidence of 1042, in Bad Hofgastein it is even higher at 1168.

"We have to react now, because the new corona infections in the two communities are going through the roof," said Governor Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP), commenting on the measures.

Corona in Austria: researchers stunned after easing - "incomprehensible"

Update from March 2, 2:25 p.m.:

SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach is not alone with his criticism of the easing in Austria.

Complexity researcher Peter Klimek described the openings as "high-risk" with a view to the number of infections and the spread of corona mutations.

"Apparently the strategy is to confuse the virus with unpredictable opening steps," the researcher at the Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH) and the Medical University of Vienna explained sarcastically to APA.

One sees a sharp increase in the British virus variant B.1.1.7 in Austria in recent weeks.

“From my point of view, it is incomprehensible why this information is not taken as seriously as it actually deserves,” said Klimek.

Because the virus variants have already taken over the infection process, one is already in a third wave.

“Austria is loosening up in the B117 wave,” wrote Lauterbach on Twitter.

"Many there will pay with their lives for that."

Update from March 2nd, 12:24 pm:

“Not an example for us” - SPD health

politician

Karl Lauterbach rigorously rejects the easing in Austria.

He criticizes the opening plans in the neighboring country sharply, reports

Merkur.de.

Corona in Austria: Kurz announces significant easing and now wants to break away from the EU - new alliance

Update from March 2, 10:50 a.m.:

According to

Kurier

information,

Austria, Denmark and Israel want to

form an alliance in the future and have a second-generation corona vaccine produced.

This should help in the fight against further corona mutations.

On Tuesday, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz will meet representatives from leading pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Novartis, as well as scientists and medical professionals, before traveling to Israel on Thursday (March 4).

+

The government around Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in Austria decided on further easing at the Corona summit on Monday.

© Eibner-Pressefoto / Schroetter / imago-images

Kurz stated that it was agreed last summer that the corona vaccines would be "procured in good time and approved quickly by the EU." there are delivery bottlenecks from pharmaceutical companies ”, criticized Austria's Federal Chancellor.

The Alpine republic must prepare for further mutations of the corona virus.

"We should no longer be dependent solely on the EU for the production of second-generation vaccinations," Kurz said.

Experts estimate the need for around 30 million vaccine doses for Austria alone.

According to Kurz, the corona vaccination will return to normal in the summer, but the pandemic will continue to concern people with mutations.

"We have to prepare for this and the phase after the summer in good time," said Kurz.

Corona in Austria: Gastronomy disappointed with decisions by the Kurz government

Update from March 2, 10:02 a.m.:

After the Corona summit, the gastronomy was disappointed with the decisions of the government around Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

Many companies have no or only too small an outdoor area to be able to represent the opening economically, said host spokesman Mario Pulker on Monday evening for the APA.

Pulker described the opening of the pub gardens at the beginning of the Easter holidays on March 27th as "a drop in the bucket" and "a blow in the pit of the stomach".

Many restaurateurs wrote him horrified news during the press conference on Monday evening.

For indoor catering, April was given as the target, but no specific date for opening steps.

"But as it is, we will continue to be left blind," criticized the landlord-spokesman.

The Mayor of Vienna Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) announced that he would examine “to what extent we can also provide public spaces for gastronomy, including spaces that go beyond that that can be used by restaurateurs.” Because: “It makes more sense, there is Rules of the game that consumers can use as a guide, as there is a proliferation of meetings that take place somewhere in a semi-public space.

The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Harald Mahrer, was delighted with the opening of the guest gardens.

“Now we have our foot in the door.

The next step is to bring the guests into the bars, hotels and event halls, ”he told APA.

Corona in Austria: Briefly announces regional easing for Vorarlberg

Update from March 1, 7:00 p.m.:

In Austria, there will be easing in the state of Vorarlberg from March 15.

Due to the comparatively low number of new infections, sport, culture and gastronomy are now to be gradually opened.

On Monday, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz confirmed the easing in the westernmost state.

+

Austria's Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (r.) And Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (l.) At the Corona summit on Monday.

© Eibner-Pressefoto / Schroetter / imago-images

For the rest of the country, an opening of the open-air gastronomy is targeted from March 27th.

"We start outdoors before we can venture into further indoor opening steps," said Kurz.

Access tests should also continue to play an important role, with around a quarter of the population being tested every week, according to the press conference.

Large areas of vaccination in Austria are to be carried out in March and April.

“We know that it's been a hell of a long year for the population,” said Kurz at the press conference.

The opening of trade and schools was defended.

As Kurz reported, 120,000 people who were unemployed or on short-time work were re-employed three weeks after all shops had opened.

Corona in Austria: Short press conference in the ticker - unique test run in Vorarlberg

Update from March 1st, 6.48pm:

“We think it's good to take this step in Vorarlberg.

We don't expect any major movements within Austria either, Viennese won't drive to Vorarlberg for several hours, ”says Kurz about the experiment.

Health Minister Anschober makes it clear once again that a "safety net" made up of various measures should help in high-risk areas.

Regions with positive numbers should continue to be rewarded.

Update from March 1st, 6:38 pm:

“From March 15th there will also be relaxation for children and adolescents, they suffer from a lack of contact and lack of exercise.

In connection with the catering industry, we will start opening steps here from March 15, ”said Wallner about the test run in Vorarlberg.

Update from March 1st, 6:36 pm:

“It is a crucial moment for Vorarlberg, our federal state is moving forward with this step.

From March 15th we will open with responsibility and courage in various areas ”, announced Markus Wallner, Governor of Vorarlberg.

“We were already at the top of the incidence, now we are in a good starting position.

We're at a 7 day incidence of 70 and testing intensely.

That is why a regional opening step must now be possible with this test. "

Update from March 1, 6:28 p.m.:

Michael Ludwig, Mayor of Vienna, is now speaking to the press.

“We carried out more than three million tests in Vienna alone,” says Ludwig.

School sports will also be allowed here from March 27th, and the outdoor restaurants and pubs should also be able to reopen on this day.

Corona in Austria: Short press conference in the ticker - Anschober hopes for successful vaccination stages

Update from March 1st, 6:26 pm:

"We want focus controls in hotspots.

If we can dampen these regional peaks, we have taken a big step, ”said Anschober.

They also want to continue to sell the FFP2 masks and enforce a "safety net in districts where we have a high 7-day incidence of over 400".

Update from March 1, 6:24 p.m.:

Health Minister Rudolf Anschober first speaks about the perspective after Easter.

“It's getting warmer, so the risk is reduced a bit.

We assume that after Easter there will be a vaccination stage that is behind us.

The goal is to vaccinate a million people, ”said Anschober.

Above all, high-risk patients over 80, some teachers and health workers should first be vaccinated.

Update from March 1st, 6:22 pm:

From March onwards, “over 30,000 people per day” will be vaccinated, and in April even 50,000, as Kurz explains.

The vaccination must now be organized in order to protect the risk groups and thus gradually relieve the hospitals.

"The goal of returning to normal by the summer is realistic, but it must be done gradually," said the Chancellor.

Update from March 1st, 6:16 pm:

“We are the first country in the world where you can now get tests at home in the pharmacy,” says Kurz, who wants to continue testing on a large scale.

Kurz recommends that older people reduce contacts and wear FFP2 masks until they are vaccinated.

Update from March 1st, 6:16 pm:

"In Vorarlberg we will relax in the areas of sport, culture and gastronomy," says Kurz.

For the time being, the openings will only be pulled through in one federal state.

+

Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces the results of the Corona summit.

© Eibner-Pressefoto / imago-images

Corona in Austria: Kurz defends openings in February - "Positive balance after three weeks"

Update from March 1, 6.15 p.m.:

The number of infections has risen, in the east the incidence was now over 200, in Vorarlberg, however, 70, so Kurz.

Update from March 1st, 6:13 pm:

“While neighboring countries like Germany are in lockdown, three weeks ago we decided to initiate opening steps.

After three weeks we draw a positive balance of these steps ", says Kurz at the beginning" We have brought 120,000 people back into employment, these people were able to return to their work or have found a job, "said the Chancellor.

Update from March 1, 6:11 p.m.:

Now the press conference with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz starts.

Update from March 1st, 6:00 p.m.:

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz will shortly open the press round.

In a TV interview at

oe24

, Carinthia's governor Dr.

Peter Kaiser already said that the opening of the gastro in Austria is planned for the end of March, at least the pub gardens should be able to open outside.

School sports should also be released again from mid-March, and the cultural area should open from April.

The exact plan will be presented shortly.

Corona in Austria: press conference with Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz postponed

Update from March 1, 5:08 p.m.:

The press conference will not take place at 5 p.m., the results of the Corona summit will be presented by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz one hour late from 6 p.m.

In addition to the Federal Chancellor, Markus Wallner, Governor of Vorarlberg, will also attend the press conference.

It is speculated that the state of Vorarlberg will relax, so the region could act as a kind of test area.

Update from March 1, 4:35 p.m.:

The epidemiologist Eva Schernhammer was part of the group of experts on Monday morning who took part in the government's deliberations.

In the run-up to the summit, she announced that she would recommend the government headed by Chancellor Kurz not to announce any further easing.

The situation is "very complex," said Schernhammer of the APA.

"The situation is very volatile, you cannot predict in which direction it will change," says the expert.

Therefore, she advises the government not to give an opening date.

"We can be happy if what is open can remain open," Schernhammer clarified in the run-up to the Corona summit.

According to media reports, the government around Chancellor Kurz agreed on regional easing according to a zone model during the deliberations on Monday.

A press conference has been announced around 5 p.m.

The results of the Corona summit are to be presented there.

Corona in Austria: Rendi-Wagner considers further openings to be "highly irresponsible"

Update from March 1st, 3:28 pm:

“We expect a specific time to be mentioned.

Postponing again without a date would be unacceptable, ”said Mario Pulker, head of the gastronomy division of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, to the APA on Monday.

The hosts hope that the first steps will be taken in March.

Pulker said he was "very excited" to see the results of the Corona summit.

If an opening date is decided, this must also be adhered to.

"Unlocking and locking up is deadly, the factories are all the more dead," explained Pulker.

Peter Lieber, President of the Austrian Trade Association, demanded: “Either all companies and institutions are allowed to unlock immediately or we will all go into a complete lockdown again until after Easter.

Half-measures, as the figures show, are visibly counterproductive. ”He is convinced that the government's decision can only be“ unlock ”.

"It remains inexplicable that, despite clever prevention concepts, restaurants, theaters or hotels are not allowed to open", says Lieber.

SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner believes further opening steps with a view to the number of infections in Austria, however, are "highly irresponsible." An increase in new infections and the number of intensive care patients can be clearly seen.

“There is no time for experiments now,” says Rendi-Wagner.

+

Party leader of the SPÖ: Pamela Rendi-Wagner.

© Georg Hochmuth / dpa

Corona in Austria: regional easing after a short summit?

"Unlock" from an incidence of 100

Update from March 1, 2:25 p.m.:

The government is said to have agreed on regional easing in Austria at the Corona summit on Monday.

The

oe24

reports

, citing information from government

circles

.

The opening steps are expected to take place on March 22nd.

"Every federal state that brings its incidence towards 100 by then will be allowed to unlock carefully," the news portal quotes a government insider.

The Italian zone model is to serve as a model.

In “green zones”, with an incidence below 100, there should also be the first steps towards opening up restaurants, hotels, sports and culture.

"We will be very careful with the gastronomy, however, because at the beginning it could only

amount

to an opening of the

pub gardens

," said the informant from

oe24

.

The government is therefore also considering introducing further tightening for zones with a particularly high incidence - over 250.

Vorarlberg, currently with a 7-day incidence of 73, should therefore initiate further easing.

Governor Markus Wallner (ÖVP) is said to have advertised openings in his state to both Chancellor Kurz and Health Minister Anschober on Sunday, reports the

Vorarlberger Nachrichten

.

This was also confirmed by Wallner's office when asked by the APA.

The Vorarlberg governor said that there was a need for regional leeway for relaxation.

In eastern Austria, where the incidence values ​​are significantly higher, people are not very enthusiastic about the idea of ​​regional easing.

Lower Austria currently has the highest incidence value of all federal states at 196.2.

Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) demanded at a press conference before the talks on Monday: "If you think about loosening or cautious openings, you need a uniform nationwide strategy."

+

Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (l., Greens), Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (middle, ÖVP) and Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (r., Greens) at the Corona summit.

© Helmut Fohringer / dpa

Corona summit in Austria: Relaxation for gastronomy, hotel and culture required

First report from March 1:

Vienna - on Sunday more than 2100 new corona infections were reported in Austria - the highest Sunday value so far in 2021. The more contagious corona mutations are spreading further in the country.

The 7-day incidence in the Alpine republic is around 160 three weeks after all shops have opened. On Monday, the government led by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) will advise on how to proceed with the corona pandemic.

Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) described the development of the numbers on Sunday as a "worrying turnaround".

The main driver of the increasing numbers is the spread of the corona mutants *.

“In the majority of the Austrian federal states, the British variant * already dominates.

Since this has a 30 percent higher risk of infection, the number of infections increases in line with the spread of the variant, ”explained Anschober.

Nevertheless, the demands from politics, business and the population for further easing are increasing.

“It must be possible to go to the landlord with an entry test,” demanded, for example, the governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP).

The Mayor of Vienna Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) demands at least an opening of the pub gardens.

Chamber of Commerce General Secretary Karlheinz Kopf was optimistic about the opening of restaurants and hotels in the run-up to the Corona * summit.

“We expect opening steps to take place on March 15,” he said in the

ORF

magazine “Hohes Haus”.

Corona in Austria: regional openings?

A federal state could become a "test area"

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz *, Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) and Health Minister Rudolf Anschober met on Sunday for consultations in the Federal Chancellery in Vienna.

Several media then reported, citing information from government circles, that there will probably be no major openings in the catering, hotel and culture sectors from March 15.

On Monday, the APA news agency reported, with reference to government circles, that a regionally different approach is probably being considered.

Accordingly, there could be easing in Vorarlberg.

The western state would then become a kind of “test area”.

On Sunday, the 7-day incidence in Vorarlberg, at 72.8, was significantly lower than in the eastern federal states of Vienna (186.6) and Lower Austria (196.2).

Corona in Austria: Briefly presented summit results in the afternoon

"We have been recommending for a long time on a model basis that something can very well be done on a regional level," said mathematician Niki Popper in

Ö1

- "Morgenjournal".

On the one hand, one can "attract more regionally and on the other hand open more regionally." In addition to the absolute numbers, however, other factors such as the spread of mutations should also be taken into account.

At around 5 p.m. Federal Chancellor Kurz will present the results of today's Corona summit in a press conference on Monday.

Before that, there will be an “advisory marathon” in the Federal Chancellery.

The government has been consulting with a large panel of experts since 10 a.m.

Then representatives of the opposition are switched on.

The provincial governors also attend the deliberations in the early afternoon.

(ph)

* Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

List of rubric lists: © Eibner-Pressefoto / EXPA / Schroetter via www.imago-images.de

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-03-03

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