Expert prognosis for Austria after the Omikron wave: "Extent of immunity as we have never had it"
Created: 01/05/2022, 10:38 AM
From: Richard Strobl, Martina Lippl
Austria: Epidemiologist Gerald Gartlehner from Danube University Krems speaks out in favor of reconsidering the compulsory vaccination after the Omikron wave.
© Screenshot ORF ZIB2
The Omikron variant is putting Austria under pressure.
A summit could now bring new rules.
Corona expert questions vaccination requirements.
The news ticker.
In Austria, the Omikron variant of the coronavirus replaced Delta at the end of 2021.
Epidemiologist now questions mandatory vaccination due to omicron wave (update from February 5, 10.15 a.m.)
Vienna's mayor calls for "serious" measures to prevent lockdown (update from January 4th, 2:22 pm).
This news ticker on the subject of Corona in Austria is updated regularly.
Update from January 5th, 10.15 a.m
.: Behind closed doors, the expert commission "Gecko" (CoV crisis coordination) advised on the Corona situation in Austria.
Politicians want to decide and announce further measures on Thursday.
Lockdown, partial lockdown, booster campaign and FFP2 mask requirement are under discussion.
What is certain is that the schools will reopen on the Monday after the Christmas break.
Corona safety rules apply until January 14th, such as an FFP2 mask requirement for all teachers and students in the upper level.
In addition, three tests per week are required for the students, at least once of which with a PCR test.
Lockdown in Austria?
Expert gives gloomy forecast
Epidemiologist Gerald Gartlehner from Danube University Krems assumes that Omikron will ensure new highs in Austria, but schools should “really be the last thing to be closed”.
On the subject of lockdown, Gartlehner said on Tuesday evening on ORF that Austria was only one of three countries that needed a lockdown during the autumn wave.
"In Austria there is still a high proportion of people who have no immunity," said Gartlehner.
Omikron will be a major burden for Austria's hospitals.
Quarantine could paralyze civil life.
The epidemiologist would therefore not rule out a lockdown in January.
However, it would now depend on the rapid reaction of politicians in order to slow down the next wave.
Austria: Epidemiologist wants to "reassess" mandatory vaccination after Omikron wave
"We have to assume that after the Omikron wave we will have a level of immunity in the population that we have never had before," predicts epidemiologist Gerald Gartlehner in an interview with ORF.
In his opinion, this immune protection will work against severe infections.
"Therefore, the compulsory vaccination will probably have to be reassessed after the Omikron wave."
Vienna's mayor: "I am very worried"
Update from January 4, 2:22 p.m
.: Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) wishes for “consistent” and “nationwide” rules before the upcoming Corona summit in Austria. In the run-up to the meeting of the Covid crisis coordination "Gecko" on Thursday, Ludwig said, as reported by
oe24.at
: "I am of the opinion that everything should be done to prevent a lockdown." He hopes that nationwide regulations will be made very quickly which, in his opinion, "must also be serious in order to prevent us from getting into the next lockdown."
Vienna's mayor made a statement on his Facebook page: “I am very worried.
The situation is very serious, you can see it in the skyrocketing number of infections.
It will therefore be important that we now pull together politically.
I have always believed that it is important to master this crisis across party lines.
A lockdown cannot be ruled out, but I am in favor of doing everything possible to prevent a lockdown. "
Over 100 ski instructor cases in Tyrol alone - the Omikron summit in Austria is coming up
Update from January 4, 12:05 p.m
.: In Tyrol, corona outbreaks are making headlines among ski instructors.
After a corona outbreak in a foreign ski instructor group in Kirchberg (Kitzbühel), further outbreaks have become known, the state of Tyrol announced.
In two Tyrolean ski schools in Kirchberg, a total of 24 ski instructors have so far tested positive for Corona, in a ski school in St. Anton am Arlberg there are 21 cases - as of January 3.
At first it is still unclear whether these are Omicron cases.
In total there should be over 100 ski instructor cases in Tyrol, reports Austrian media.
Austria: Ski instructors should receive booster vaccinations
The state of Tyrol now wants to boost foreign ski instructors in particular "as quickly as possible", as many have not yet received a third vaccination. The offer was coordinated with the Tyrolean Ski Instructor Association and should be explicitly communicated to the ski schools again, the authorities said. In addition, the state of Tyrol urgently recommends that all ski instructors implement 2G-Plus. In addition to the vaccination, all ski instructors should now be regularly tested several times a week to ensure more safety for those affected.
Update from January 4, 11:56 a.m
.: In Austria 5,496 new corona infections and 25 deaths were recorded on Tuesday.
This is evident from the figures from the Austrian Ministry of Health and the Interior.
The nationwide incidence in Austria is 261.0 (as of January 3).
In Tyrol the value is currently highest at 471.1.
Styria has the lowest incidence with 156.0.
Omikron is now dominant in Austria: Corona summit is coming - "very rapid changes" expected
First report from January 3, 2022
Vienna - The highly contagious Omikron mutant is already the predominant variant of the coronavirus in Austria.
That emerges from preliminary figures at the end of the year.
At a corona summit from Tuesday, new restrictions could now be decided.
Omikron in Austria: Corona variant now dominant
At the end of the year, more Omikron cases than Delta cases were counted in Austria, according to updated data from the Agency for Health and Food Safety on Monday.
In the last calendar week of 2021, 4360 omicron cases and 2915 delta cases were detected.
The agency emphasized that late registrations are still to be expected for calendar week 52.
In addition, the sequencing, especially outside the capital Vienna, is only a sample.
Overall, the number of new infections in Austria has recently increased significantly again: the seven-day incidence climbed from 170 to around 260 cases per 100,000 inhabitants within a few days.
Corona summit in Austria: is politics reacting to the Omikron wave?
During his vacation, Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer invited to the next Corona summit.
The experts from the GECKO corona crisis coordination will meet on Tuesday, reports
oe24.at
, among others .
The meeting is therefore also about whether the corona rules will be tightened due to the spread of the omicron variant.
Because of the increasing number of infections caused by the Omikron variant, the GECKO commission expects "very rapid changes", the portal quotes a spokesman.
They want to adhere to the currently valid, strict package of measures.
Thus, in addition to the lockdown for unvaccinated people, curfew and entry restrictions for unvaccinated people will probably continue to apply.
The commission will then discuss the results of the deliberations with the country leaders and the government on Thursday.
Means: New rules could be announced on Thursday.
(rjs / dpa)