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Vorarlberg, Tirol and Salzburg have taken a curfew to 10 pm to avoid “excessive celebrations”. Chancellor Kurz is now calling on the East to do the same. The mayor of Vienna criticizes the “Hü-Hott policy”.
The three western federal states of Vorarlberg, Tyrol and Salzburg all carried a curfew at 10pm on Tuesday due to growing crown numbers. The measure is due to take effect next Friday. Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who supports the measure, has called on the federal states of Vienna and Lower Austria to do the same as the western federal states.
“Our goal is to save jobs,” Kurz stressed to reporters. Of course, now you can allow a few more weeks of partying at night, “and people will be happy,” but the higher the number of newly infected people, the more travel warnings and the fewer tourists there will be. Especially in the federal capital this is “extremely problematic.”
Although there are “clear rules” that apply to the whole of Austria, he also considers that a “regionally coordinated approach is entirely appropriate”. For example, the numbers in the Vienna-Lower Austria area are too high. In Vienna with the red mayor Michael Ludwig and in Lower Austria with his party colleague Johanna Mikl-Leitner as provincial governor, the chancellor has so far obviously bitten the grain: he tried to win her over, but “the two federal states are not currently following the example of the western. Federal states, “Kurz said when asked.
“Our goal is to save jobs.”
Federal Chancellor Kurz
Kurz argued that there is no uniform approach across Austria by stating that the situation in the federal states is different. In Carinthia, for example, the number of new infected people is “very, very low”, “from my point of view, the situation is under control”. In Salzburg, the contagion figures are not so dramatic as to bring forward the curfew, he considers “very, very wise and very far-sighted.”
Ludwig: curfew leads to illegal parties
Mayor Ludwig doesn’t want to bring a curfew just yet. The situation will be monitored. Ludwig criticized the “Hü-Hott policy”, in which the existing measures were constantly changing. For the population, this approach is now often irritating. “You need a situation that you can use as a guide.”
“You need a situation that you can use as a guide.”
Michael Ludwig doesn’t want to bring a curfew
For him, it is not a big problem if people sit at a table after 10 pm He prefers it when people gather in the restaurant sector than at illegal events. If curfew is brought forward, “not everyone would go to sleep.” Rather, more unapproved meetings can be expected, he warned.
If action is taken, Vienna will do so alongside Lower Austria, Ludwig announced. Lower Austria Governor Mikl-Leitner at least “doesn’t” want an early curfew, according to her office on Tuesday. But because the situation is constantly being analyzed and evaluated, such a measure “is of course not excluded for the future.”
Upper Austria, Styria and Carinthia do not want to make any changes to the curfew at the moment.
Joint transmission with the Foreign Ministry
Governors Markus Wallner (Vorarlberg), Günther Platter (Tirol) and Wilfried Haslauer (Salzburg / both ÖVP) announced the curfew in a joint broadcast with the Chancellery on Tuesday. The measure should initially be limited to three weeks and take effect on Friday. Previously, bars had to close at 1 am
Local measures are possible thanks to a regulation of the Ministry of Health and also have the support of the government. In the joint broadcast, Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) described as “good” that three federal states moved forward with the closing time.
“Big celebrations in nightclubs”
The governor of Salzburg, Wilfried Haslauer, emphasized the necessity of the measure with the fact that “one of the biggest dangers of spread can be traced to excessive celebrations in nightclubs. The aim was to prevent “private celebrations” in towns after curfew and to protect the entire restaurant industry.
“We have to take this measure to control the infection figures and reduce them again,” Tyrol Governor Günther Platter was quoted as saying. The Governor of Vorarlberg, Markus Wallner, argues similarly: “The assessment of the different groups has clearly shown that personal responsibility decreases significantly, especially at the last minute. The objective is to counteract this development by imposing a curfew.
Tirol particularly affected
In terms of active numbers, the federal states still lag behind Vienna, where there are currently 4,350 active cases. However, the situation seems a little different depending on the number of inhabitants. In Tirol, 54 new infections were recorded in the last 24 hours and thus 597 people are actively infected. However, several districts show worrying figures when looking at the number of people infected per 100,000 inhabitants in the last seven days (incidence of 7 days). Schwaz, Innsbruck-Land and Landeck are all above a value of 75. In Innsbruck itself, 136.3 people were found infected per 100,000 inhabitants, more than Vienna with 113.7 people infected.
In Vorarlberg, Dornbirn is particularly affected (92.3 in the 7-day incidence). In the westernmost federal state, 27 new infections were reported, so 455 people are actively infected with SARS-CoV-2.
In the last 24 hours, 77 new infections were reported in Salzburg, which means there are now 263 active cases. The state remains the least affected by the three Westerners. The St. Johann im Pongau district has the highest incidence value of 7 days with 55.8. In the city of Salzburg, the value is 46.04.
Allerberger to move on
Franz Allerberger, Chief of Human Medicine at the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), welcomed the advance of the curfew. Spending less time in a pub reduces the risk of infection. Three hours of local stay would mean half the risk of infection with Sars-CoV-2 than six hours. “A good part of the infections is now traced back to local visitors and returning travelers,” the expert explained. And it cannot be ruled out that the infection has also occurred in a place abroad. “I think we can end the discussion that there is an increased risk of infection in bars.”
According to Allerberger, there are fewer pubs and restaurants where the customer eats at the table and leaves the restaurant on time than there are bars and restaurants. In addition to the time factor, there is also the amount of alcohol consumed: the higher the amount, the wetter the pronunciation. The noise level increases, people come closer to continue understanding. This also increases the risk of infection.
(APA / twi)
