Coronavirus: Austria opens gastronomy, cultural and sports facilities

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»Back to normal«: Austria opens up and brings tourism back

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Barbara Gindl / dpa

The number of infections is falling, and public life is expected to return in Austria.

On Wednesday bars, hotels, theaters and cinemas, sports facilities and fitness studios open after a shutdown that sometimes lasted several months.

The prerequisite for using the facilities is a negative coronavirus test, a Covid 19 disease that has subsided or a vaccination.

Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) described the day as the »starting point for our fight back to normal.« The starting position for the openings is even better than expected.

"The curve of those infected with corona points steeply downwards, the curve of those who are vaccinated steeply upwards," Kurz said of the current development.

In most Austrian federal states, retailers and many service providers had been open since the beginning of February.

Now ghost games in the Bundesliga should also be an end: at approved events with seats, up to 3,000 people can come together outdoors.

It is up to 1500 indoors.

Large gatherings such as wedding celebrations or club parties are still prohibited.

The night gastronomy is also initially closed with a curfew at 10 p.m.

Kurz announced further opening steps in the near future.

"We'll be able to get back to normal in the summer."

Restart of tourism

The move is also a prerequisite for restarting tourism in Austria.

Guests can be tested free of charge in many places.

When entering Austria, Germans do not have to quarantine if the test result is negative.

The number of new corona infections in Austria had fallen significantly in the past few weeks.

With a seven-day incidence of around 65, the situation has recently been better than in Germany at 79.

»Rediscover the French way of life«

The second big step in easing the corona measures will also begin in France on Wednesday.

"From May 19, we have to rediscover our French way of life," said French President Emmanuel Macron of the envisaged return to normal.

A major easing in France is the postponement of the evening curfew from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

As of Wednesday, the outdoor areas of the restaurants as well as the shops and cultural institutions will be allowed to open again throughout the country.

Strict hygiene regulations should apply on the restaurant terraces: they may only be half full, and a maximum of six people may sit at one table.

The restaurants in France have been closed since the end of October.

In stores that sell non-essential products, eight square meters of space must be available per customer.

Restrictions also apply in cinemas, theaters and museums.

France is hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Around 108,000 people have died there in connection with the disease since the beginning of the crisis.

The situation had eased significantly in the past few weeks.

Most recently, almost 150 new corona infections per 100,000 inhabitants were counted nationwide within a week.

France wants to use a kind of emergency brake for the easing.

A guideline, along with other factors, is an incidence of 400 or more.

Italy postpones curfew

In Italy, people can also look forward to a slight easing of the nocturnal exit ban.

The government in Rome decided on Monday to postpone curfew by one hour, from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The measure will come into force after the official publication of the decree.

Italian media assumed that citizens could be outside longer on Wednesday evening.

In a next step from June 7th, the exit ban will be postponed to midnight.

It is valid until 5 a.m.

ire / dpa