Despite rising corona infections, Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz now wants to rely on personal responsibility instead of state control.
Vienna - Kurz sees the crisis at a turning point: "It is changing from an acute challenge for society as a whole to an individual medical problem," he told several regional media such as the "Kleine Zeitung" (Saturday).
You have to make it clear to those who have not yet been vaccinated that they will be infected sooner or later, said the conservative politician.
Nevertheless, in a liberal democracy there is the right to act unreasonably.
"You can eat ten schnitzel a day or climb the rock face with 140 kilos without the state standing down and securing the rope."
The state must now retreat back to its core tasks, said Kurz.
Due to the progress in vaccinations, the wearing of masks and mass tests, the situation is not comparable to last summer.
In Austria, distance rules were lifted at the beginning of July and night gastronomy reopened.
Since then, the seven-day incidence has increased from seven to ten.
Health experts expect a fourth wave of infections because of the more contagious Delta variant.
(dpa)