The corona numbers in Austria are heading for a new lockdown.
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz wants to save the summer of 2021 and reveals the opening strategy.
The news ticker.
Coronavirus pandemic in Austria *
: is the Alpine republic facing the next lockdown?
Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) * presents a plan for easing the
situation
in Austria
(see update from March 18, 4:22 p.m.).
Vienna is reacting to corona cases and tightening corona rules for schools and kindergartens
(update from March 18, 3:48 p.m.).
This
news ticker on the corona situation in Austria
is continuously updated.
Update from March 18, 4:39 p.m
.: During his visit to Germany, Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz urged freedom to travel between Austria and Germany.
The extension of the border controls on the German border with Tyrol had caused criticism in advance.
Kurz now expects the abolition of border controls soon.
Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer had signaled to him that he wanted to gradually reduce the controls as quickly as possible, Kurz said on Thursday after a conversation with the CSU politician in Berlin.
"I assume that if the infection process in Tyrol continues to develop so well that it will hopefully be the case in the next one to two weeks," said Kurz.
At Easter, however, Chancellor Kurz ruled out holidays to Austria for Germans in an interview with ntv.
Easing in Austria - Briefly reveals milestones
Chancellor Kurz also spoke about the interim goals for easing in Austria.
All over 65-year-olds should be vaccinated by the end of April.
That was his first goal, reports
oe24.at
.
Vaccinating 50-year-olds is stage two.
This should be done by the beginning of June.
In stage three - mid-June to early July - all people in Austria who wanted to be vaccinated should be vaccinated.
"By the summer we have eight million doses, provided that AstraZeneca may continue to be inoculated," said Short, according
oe24.at
.
Corona incidence in Austria is increasing - Vienna is tightening corona rules for schools and daycare centers
Update from March 18, 3:46 p.m
.: The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Interior have reported 3,357 newly registered coronavirus cases and 26 further deaths within the last 24 hours (as of today, 9:30 a.m.), reports the ORF.
The 7-day incidence rose to 216.6 (previous day: 210.7), the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) announced on Thursday afternoon.
Vienna has tightened the corona rules for schools and kindergartens.
Because of the British Corona mutation, the city is "playing it safe".
If there are two positive corona cases in a school class or a kindergarten group, the entire affected class or group will be closed in the future.
The quarantine period extended to 14 days.
The 7-day incidence in Vienna is currently 274.6.
Update from March 18, 9.22 a.m
.: In Austria, the 7-day incidence is 210.7.
This is announced by the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) (as of March 17, 2 p.m.).
The number is still highest in Salzburg (284.2) and Vienna (270.0).
The value is lowest in Vorarlberg (57.9) and Tyrol (159.4).
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) published the results of its investigations into rare blood clots (thromboses) after vaccinations with the corona vaccine from AstraZeneca on Thursday.
Austria was the first country in Europe to withdraw a batch of the vaccine as a precaution after a death with a nurse from the State Clinic Zwettl (Lower Austria) * and a colleague fell seriously ill with a pulmonary embolism in a colleague.
Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz wants to be vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“Yes, I am vaccinated with AstraZeneca.
In order to make clear that I said to this vaccine trust "Short interview with
oe24.at
.
At the beginning of the vaccination campaign in Austria, Kurz had already advertised the vaccine from the Swedish-British pharmaceutical giant.
"Vaccination precursors" for the Biontech vaccine had caused a scandal in the Alpine republic.
+
Corona in Austria: Chancellor Sebastian Kurz wants easing and an early lifting of border controls.
© Georg Hochmuth / AFP
Corona in Austria - secret plans for hotspot Vienna
Update from March 17, 5 p.m.:
In Austria's capital Vienna, 1080 new corona cases were reported on Wednesday.
This corresponds to almost a third of all new infections in the country every day, but it also includes 134 late reports from the past few days.
The 7-day incidence is still approaching the 300 mark; it is currently 270.1.
According to
oe24.at
, government
circles
are already discussing how to proceed should the incidence in Vienna exceed 400.
While the respective districts would be cordoned off in other federal states, in Vienna only a quarantine for the entire state would be possible, explains a government insider.
A complete cordoning off of Vienna, as is currently the case in Wiener Neustadt, for example, is "rather unlikely".
Instead, according to the report, there should be “travel warnings” for Vienna.
People from other federal states would then have to be tested when they return to their respective federal state.
Whether there will be an exception for commuters is currently still open, the report said.
"It is quite possible that they will have to be tested every day, as is now the case in Wiener Neustadt," the government insider is quoted as saying.
At an incidence of 400, the schools would have to close again, and a hard lockdown would then be possible again.
Corona in Austria: speed ahead with a vaccination pass - holidaymakers welcome from April?
Update from March 17, 2:58 p.m.:
Austria wants to gradually start introducing a green Corona vaccination certificate in April.
The Ministry of Health will shortly create the legal basis for this, said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) on Wednesday in Vienna.
In a first phase, the negative test results are to be recorded digitally, as Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) explained.
The vaccination certificate, as it is to be introduced at European level from June, is a good technical means to enable people who have been vaccinated, tested and recovered to travel freely again, said Kurz.
Kurz linked the time for possible travel facilitation with the opening of the tourist infrastructure in Austria, i.e. as soon as culture, gastronomy and hotels would open again.
"From then on, all German holidaymakers are welcome again in Austria," explained Kurz.
There will be further opening steps depending on the development of the corona situation.
The government will discuss further measures at a corona summit next Monday.
Kurz still does not see the current corona development in Austria as alarming.
The increase in numbers since all stores opened around five weeks ago is linear and not exponential.
In addition, the development is regionally very different, said Anschober.
In the east of Austria in particular, the more contagious British virus variant B.1.1.7 is now responsible for 95 percent of the cases.
Corona in Austria: Numbers are increasing massively again
Update from March 17, 12:08 p.m.:
From Tuesday to Wednesday, 3239 new corona infections were reported in Austria.
Compared to the previous day (2425), the number of new corona cases has increased massively.
Also compared to the Wednesday of the previous week, when there were 2528 new infections, the number is significantly higher.
The last time there was a similarly high value in Austria was on December 5, when 3444 new infections were reported.
There are also 30 new deaths related to a Covid 19 infection.
The 7-day incidence in the Alpine republic is currently 216.9.
For the time being, Germany will maintain border controls with Austria.
"We will extend the controls," said Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) the
Münchner Merkur.
The Federal Minister of the Interior gave hope at the same time.
Corona in Austria: Short trip to Berlin - No meeting with Merkel
Update from March 17, 9:19 a.m
.: The Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz will travel to Berlin on Thursday to hold political talks and take part in an award ceremony.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU), Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) and CDU Chairman Armin Laschet will meet briefly, the Austrian Embassy in Berlin announced.
The focus will be on combating the corona pandemic and restoring full freedom to travel in Europe with a view to the summer.
A conversation with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is not planned - for "scheduling reasons", as it was called by the Austrian side.
A government spokesman in Berlin only said: "There are no bilateral meetings planned."
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There will be no meeting during the current visit to Berlin: Chancellor Angela Merkel with Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (archive photo).
© Michael Kappeler / dpa
Austria's Chancellor Kurz gives Biontech laudation: "Will return to normal in summer"
The reason for the trip is the presentation of the Axel Springer Award to the founders of the pharmaceutical company and vaccine developer Biontech, Özlem Türeci and Ugur Sahin.
The laudation will be brief.
"With the vaccination, we will return to normal in the summer," said the Austrian head of government.
The most important topic of the talks in Berlin is therefore "a complete restoration of the freedom to travel in Europe in the summer so that German tourists can spend their holidays in Austria again".
Corona in Austria: Violent hostility against brief confidants - health minister needs personal protection
Update from March 16, 10:30 p.m
.: It's not just the tone that is increasingly tightening in the Corona crisis in Austria.
As Federal Health Minister Rudolf “Rudi” Anschober (The Greens) told a press conference this Tuesday, he currently needs personal protection due to personal attacks.
“We need cohesion, division harms us.
Facts create trust ", said Anschober and criticized:" There is a lot of false information and assumptions about vaccinations and the occurrence of infections. "
Most recently there had been concerns about the health of the 60-year-old Green politician.
The Upper Austrian had to go to a health check after a circulatory weakness last weekend and temporarily withdrew from day-to-day political business.
Now the minister from the cabinet of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) told about the hostility he is exposed to in the coronavirus pandemic.
+
Austria's Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP, left) and Health Minister Rudolf “Rudi” Anschober (The Greens).
© IMAGO / photonews.at
Coronavirus pandemic in Austria: Did the federal government from Vienna forego 2.7 million vaccine doses?
Update from March 16, 10:00 p.m
.: In the coronavirus pandemic in Austria, the organization of vaccinations is still heavily criticized.
According to matching media reports, the Alpine republic could apparently have ordered more corona vaccine from the manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.
According to this, 3.9 million vaccine doses were reserved for Austria, but the government from Vienna ultimately only secured around 2.5 million vaccine doses.
According to a report by the news portal
oe24.at
(behind a payment barrier), Austria even waived a total of 2.7 million vaccine doses.
Most recently, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) * had talks with Israel, which has already vaccinated its population.
Both countries have about 8.9 million inhabitants.
Coronavirus pandemic in Austria: Vienna wants to readjust distribution of corona vaccines
Update from March 16, 4:20 p.m
.: The vaccination summit in the Vienna Federal Chancellery has ended.
The participating heads of government from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic agreed on one thing: The distribution of corona vaccines in the EU must be readjusted in order to avoid political tensions.
A correction mechanism is necessary, said Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
“The way it is, it shouldn't stay that way.” Concrete suggestions as to what the mechanism should look like, however, were not presented.
"I believe that this is also a timely warning," said Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, explaining the move.
If some countries were not supplied according to population size, as originally agreed, but received more, half of the EU countries would be 60 percent vaccinated by June and the other only 30 percent.
"That would certainly lead to a political crisis," he said.
According to the heads of government, talks with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council Chairman Charles Michel are planned for Tuesday evening or Wednesday.
+
A working meeting on vaccine distribution in the EU took place in the Federal Chancellery in Vienna.
Sebastian Kurz had invited.
© Georges Schneider / imago-images
Corona: Austria makes AstraZeneca decision - concerns about fourth “lockdown in mid-April” are growing
First report from March 16:
Vienna - dispute about Austria's corona policy.
In the turquoise-green federal government, poison arrows have recently been flying - also from Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
The ÖVP politician publicly denounced the sluggish vaccination campaign and attacked the Green Minister of Health Rudolf Anschober.
Clear words also came from the opposition in the direction of Vienna.
The country faces groundbreaking weeks.
Corona in Austria: Regional easing - Voralberg opens gastronomy
On Monday (March 15) there were again consultations between the federal government and the states on the program.
As previously announced, concrete results were not presented.
However, Austria seems to want to stick to its model of regional differentiation.
Relaxation is therefore possible where the infection rate allows.
In Voralberg, for example, the gastronomy has now been allowed to reopen under hygiene rules.
The strategy also provides for stricter measures to be adopted in places with an acute infection rate than in the rest of the country.
The example of Wiener Neustadt will soon show how successful this course is.
The city of 50,000 is the first large city to be affected by the restrictions.
Corona in Austria: Hofer warns of "another lockdown in mid-April"
Austria last changed its original corona strategy after several lockdowns * had not shown a satisfactory effect.
However, the Alpine republic could soon find itself in lockdown again.
It would be the fourth overall.
FPÖ boss Norbert Hofer was “anything but optimistic” on Monday and warned of a “further lockdown around mid-April”.
The former transport minister, who like the entire FPÖ flew out of the government after the Ibiza affair, fears an increase in corona cases * in the country: "According to the experts, the number of new infections every day is around 6,000 - and only below that The prerequisite is that the numbers continue to develop linearly. ”Currently, almost 3000 new cases are reported in Austria every day, on Tuesday there were 2,425.
Hofer sees the opening of the schools as a driver of the pandemic and states: “Nevertheless, there is still no thought of equipping the classrooms with air purification devices.
This is disappointing."
Corona in Austria: incidence of 209.8 - "the beginning of a third wave"
The Neos, the smallest parliamentary group in the National Council, meanwhile, called for more tests to curb the infection process.
Companies with 50 or more employees could soon be required to test twice a week.
The SPÖ also spoke out against possible easing steps.
The seven-day incidence and the situation in the intensive care beds are of particular concern to the Social Democrats.
The current balance sheet for Austria is 209.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days (as of March 16).
For comparison: In Germany, where the number of infections has also risen recently *, the incidence is 83 (as of March 15).
In view of this number, Anschober already spoke of the "beginning of a third wave" on Monday.
In the Alpine republic, 60 percent of the intensive care beds used are currently in Vienna or Lower Austria.
As
reported by
Der Standard
, individual operations in private clinics had to be relocated in the capital.
Corona in Austria: "Brussels Bazaar" - Kurz invites you to the vaccine summit
The situation in Austria is therefore becoming increasingly tense.
Chancellor Kurz sees the only decisive way out of the crisis in vaccinations.
Therefore, the 34-year-old invites to a vaccine summit with other European heads of government on Tuesday afternoon.
At the Federal Chancellery, Kurz consults with the Prime Ministers from Bulgaria, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, Bojko Borissow, Janez Janša and Adrej Babiš.
The quartet then discussed a change in the EU vaccination strategy with Krišjānis Karienkš and Andrej Plenkovic, Prime Ministers of Latvia and Croatia.
The heads of government are calling for a fairer distribution of the corona vaccine *.
The current ordering system would otherwise “create and deepen huge inequalities among member states by the summer”, according to a joint statement.
At the weekend, Kurz spoke of a “Brussels vaccine bazaar”.
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Together through the Corona crisis: In the past, Kurz had repeatedly exchanged ideas with other countries, such as here with the Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa.
© FA Bobo / imago-images
Corona in Austria: Vaccinations with Astrazeneca will be continued
The EU Commission has basically given the member states free choice as to which vaccine manufacturers they rely on.
In Malta, the vaccination rate is comparatively high because the island state opted for Biontech / Pfizer, while in Bulgaria it is lower because the country preferred the cheaper Astrazeneca vaccine.
Speaking of Astrazeneca: Austria wants a common European approach when dealing with the Swedish-British manufacturer.
In contrast to other countries such as Germany, France or Portugal, Austria is currently still vaccinating with Astrazeneca.
Hofer, however, called for the "immediate stop" of the Astrazeneca vaccinations.
After the “more and more frequent complications” Austria had to follow suit.
Anschober pointed out that there was still no causal evidence of the connection between the vaccinations and subsequent blood clots.
Astrazeneca remains part of the Austrian vaccination strategy ..
(as) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
List of rubric lists: © Georg Hochmuth / AFP