Why 2G brings more than any worming agent

Corona is back and has never been away

The pandemic, which was politely canceled in the summer, is heading for a new high point in Austria.

The number of infections is increasing rapidly, a new negative record is reported almost every day.

The hospitals are filling up faster than feared, the intensive care units are reaching their capacity limits.

Stricter rules have been in effect since Monday, the most drastic of which is probably the 2G rule: Only those who are verifiably vaccinated or have recovered are allowed to go to the hairdresser, to the fitness center, to concerts and cabaret, but above all to the catering trade.

This really hurts those who are not vaccinated.

Critics speak of a hidden compulsory vaccination.

This is wrong: what is hidden in it?

• New 2G rules: what applies from today

The vaccination rate in Austria is also quite low by international standards.

Over the weekend, in view of the impending local closure for unvaccinated people, there was a lively rush at the open vaccination streets, there was talk of “schnitzel panic”, but only 67 percent of the total population received the first vaccination.

Upper Austria brings up the rear among the nine federal states, and that is no coincidence.

There the FPÖ forms the state government together with the ÖVP.

In hardly any other federal state, with the exception of Carinthia, is the right wing FPÖ as firmly anchored as in Upper Austria.

She is very open about vaccination and questions virtually every government measure.

She speaks of a »Corona dictatorship«.

• Large rush to vaccination centers after 2G tightening

This is a bit surprising, especially in Upper Austria, because the liberal chairman Manfred Haimbuchner himself was sick with Covid and only survived thanks to the massive efforts of the doctors in the intensive care unit. One could have expected a little more restraint from him in particular, but the pressures of politics are evidently stronger. And in Upper Austria, the FPÖ is being harassed by a splinter group called MFG, which is by no means as friendly as it sounds. MFG stands for "Human Freedom Fundamental Rights", this new political movement made it into the state parliament with 6.2 percent in the state elections in Upper Austria in September this year and is represented there by three members. The only program in the election campaign: protest against the compulsory vaccination,which many of their voters apparently equated with a revolt against the political system.

For the FPÖ, this means that it has sharpened its course and is now even more vehemently against vaccinations and other corona measures, throughout Austria.

That one will end up in intensive care sooner or later without a vaccination is a lie, explains FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl, who seriously talks about treating Covid with the anti-worm drug Ivermectin.

Kickl must therefore not only allow himself to be accused by the medical profession of being "stupid", but also finds himself exposed to the criminally relevant suspicion of practicing quackery or quackery with his obscure treatment tips.

• Compulsory vaccination, wormer drugs, deaths: Kickl's corona statements in the fact check

more on the subject

From today on, the 2G rule in Austria: The end of "sorrowfulness" Oliver Das Gupta reports from Vienna

The fact that federal politics in Austria hesitated so much to implement more stringent measures is of course not due to the resistance from Upper Austria alone.

In the end, one is relieved there not to have to bear the responsibility for 2G alone, but to be able to pass the blame for the cuts on to others.

Corona resistance from the federal states

Burgenland, a small and red-ruled federal state, fought back with hands and feet.

After all, with a vaccination rate of over 70 percent, they are the undisputed front-runner in Austria and therefore do not even see the need to bother the population with restrictions in the pandemic.

Other, ÖVP-governed federal states such as Tyrol or Salzburg referred to the economically vital tourism and the winter season, which is now at risk: proof of vaccination in the hotel, in the tavern and at the ski lift?

Who should control this?

And above all: What will the guests from Germany and the Netherlands say about it?

Will they stay at home?

Ultimately, three reasons were decisive for bringing the federal states in line and for adopting a uniformly compressed step-by-step plan with the federal government:

• These were the urgent appeals from the medical professionals, who painted a dramatic picture of what was going on in the intensive care units and what could come next.

• That was the seeping insight that doing nothing would endanger the winter tourism season even more.

  Once Germany issues a travel warning, the tiled stove in the Tyrolean restaurant is off.

• And that was ultimately the fear of an impending lockdown for everyone, whether vaccinated or not, with all its consequences, especially of an economic nature.

  The credibility of politics would have been seriously damaged here.

In the end, all of the country representatives agreed that a wormer would not help.

Sebastian Kurz went underground

And anyone wondering what Sebastian Kurz is actually doing, who, as Federal Chancellor, has declared the pandemic to be over with an advertising campaign: He is still the chairman of the ÖVP in parliament, i.e. the parliamentary group chairman, and is currently shy of the public.

His advisors have meanwhile left the Chancellery: Gerald Fleischmann, as the Chancellor's media officer, a key figure in the political and public axis, and Johannes Frischmann, the press spokesman, are looking for new jobs.

Like Kurz, they are also listed as accused in the proceedings of the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office for alleged corruption of advertisements; the presumption of innocence applies.

Social media moment of the week

When it comes to the quota of women, there is still room for improvement in Austria.

Here is a photo from the meetings on the 2G regulation:

Stories we recommend you today:

The number of infections is increasing dramatically, and the 2G rule will apply throughout Austria from Monday

• The 2G rule has been in effect throughout Austria since today: An overview of the Corona news

What FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl recommends when treating corona - and how he sees the 3G rule

• Compulsory vaccination, wormer drugs, deaths: Kickl's corona statements in the fact check

Your investigations brought Sebastian Kurz down - since then, the authority with the awkward name of the »Economic and Corruption Prosecutor«, or WKStA for short, has been the target of hostility from the ex-Chancellor's camp.

• The investigators who could bring Sebastian Kurz to jail

The number of infections in Austria is dramatic - the government is now pulling the emergency brake.

In public life, the following applies: Only those who have been vaccinated or who have recovered can take part.

This is also how the ski season should be saved.

• The end of the "carelessness"

Kind regards,

Michael Völker, Head of Department Germany THE STANDARD

And once again the note on our own behalf: You can order this briefing as a newsletter in your e-mail inbox here.