Corona scandal in Austria: Chancellor Kurz under fire - the scandal about FFP2 masks is drawing wide circles

A scandal surrounding allegedly fake FFP2 masks is causing a stir in the coronavirus pandemic in Austria.

Because of the South African mutant, Tyrol is still in focus.

The news ticker.

• Coronavirus pandemic in Austria

  : Tyrol is in focus because of the South African corona mutant.

• Allegedly fake FFP2 masks cause a huge scandal in the Alpine republic (first

  report from March 5th

  ).

• This

  news ticker on the corona crisis * in Austria

  is updated regularly.

Update from March 5, 6 p.m.:

The Austrian state of Tyrol is still in focus in the coronavirus pandemic * because of the South African corona mutation *.

In order to get the spread of the mutant in the Schwaz district on the German border under control, the European Union (EU) provided a special delivery of the vaccine from BioNTech / Pfizer.

And: As of Friday, March 5th, according to the

Tiroler Tageszeitung

, 32,000 of the 50,000 adult residents in the region who are eligible for vaccination had already registered for the vaccinations.

With the specially set up vaccination campaign, the mutant should finally be brought under control after tough lockdown measures.

Coronavirus pandemic in Austria: Much hustle and bustle in political Vienna

First report from March 5th:

Munich / Vienna - Once again there is a lot going on in political Vienna: While the planned vaccination alliance between Israel, Denmark and Austria is causing some European partners to frown, allegedly fake FFP2 masks are causing a huge scandal in the Alpine republic.

Even parliament got involved in clearing up the dilemma, and the politically right-wing conservative FPÖ is using the mysterious case for its next attack on Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) - it is the next dispute amid the coronavirus pandemic!

Coronavirus pandemic in Austria: huge scandal over allegedly fake FFP2 masks

That was what happened: According to consistent media reports,

up to 45 illegal

workers were apprehended in a major raid at Austria's largest mask manufacturer,

Hygiene Austria

, who labeled

face masks

made in China under unworthy working conditions as “Made in Austria”.

"If there is fraud here, we have all been betrayed."

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) on the FFP2 mask scandal

According to

Kronen Zeitung,

the

company from Wiener Neudorf in Lower Austria rejected

the allegations, but confirmed the production of the masks in China.

Meanwhile, the public prosecutor for business and corruption is said to have started investigations into suspected human trafficking.

Corona crisis: FFP2 mask scandal in Austria - FPÖ calls for new elections

Meanwhile, the scandal is spreading wide: the right-wing populist FPÖ attacked Prime Minister Kurz and is even calling for new elections for the National Council.

“The federal government shares responsibility,” said FPÖ boss Norbert Hofer, speaking of “large-scale fraud on the taxpayers' backs and at the expense of people's health.

Ironically, the MPs of the ÖVP described the cheat masks in parliament as absolutely essential for survival and wore them demonstratively ”.

Kurz reacted immediately and stated, according to the news portal

krone.at

: "If there is fraud here, we have all been cheated." National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) also announced, according to

oe24.at

, that all legal means should be exhausted should the suspicion arise harden of forgeries.

Spicy: Allegedly, MPs in parliament may really have been wearing fake FFP2 masks from the manufacturer

Hygiene Austria

.

Follow all

developments regarding the corona crisis in Austria here in the news ticker

.

(pm)

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