Coronavirus: The 2G announcement in Austria is followed by a large rush in vaccination centers

Wiener Schnitzel: In the future, shared enjoyment only with 2G

Photo:

Christian Bruna / picture alliance / dpa

In Austria, more corona infections have been registered within 24 hours than ever before since the beginning of the pandemic.

9943 new infections had been reported, the authorities said on Saturday, according to the APA news agency.

The previous high came from November 13, 2020, when 9586 infections were registered.

Damit sprang die Zahl der Infektionen innerhalb einer Woche um mehr als 60 Prozent nach oben. Am Samstag vergangener Woche waren 6102 neue Fälle gemeldet worden.

Doch die alarmierenden Zahlen allein werden es nicht gewesen sein, die laut mehreren österreichischen Medien zu einem großen Andrang an den Impfzentren des Landes geführt haben. Im Austria Center Vienna kam es am Samstag nach Angaben des Wiener ORF-Studios zu Wartezeiten von bis zu anderthalb Stunden. Dort ist seit Freitag auch ohne vorherige Anmeldung eine Corona-Auffrischungsimpfung möglich.

Hinzu kommt wohl auch, dass die Bürgerinnen und Bürger auf eine Ankündigung der Regierung vom Freitagabend reagieren. Die hatte gemeinsam mit Vertretern der einzelnen Regionen beschlossen, die Corona-Maßnahmen deutlich zu verschärfen.

According to the resolutions, the 2G regulation will apply from Monday to most areas of public life: visits to restaurants, hairdressers or events with 25 or more guests will then only be allowed for those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered.

Tests should still be possible at work.

In Salzburg this announcement apparently led to the vaccination bus being "overrun", queues in front of the vaccination booths in shopping centers were also observed from Vorarlberg, and in Lower Austria the vaccination centers are to be reactivated earlier than planned.

The "Standard" quoted an eyewitness in Vienna who spoke of a "Schnitzel panic" among those who suddenly wanted to be vaccinated.

So far, only about 64 percent of the Austrian population has been fully vaccinated.

This puts the country below the EU average of 67 percent.

For a four-week transition period, a first vaccination dose in connection with a negative PCR test is to be recognized in 2G locations.

The »Green Pass« should then only be valid for nine months from the second vaccination in order to encourage people to have a booster vaccination.

feb / AFP