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They are called the “virological quartet”: Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (VP), Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler, Health Minister Rudi Anschober (both Greens) and Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (VP). On Friday, when the “Corona traffic light” was presented, they had reinforcements: the spokeswoman for the Corona Commission, Daniela Schmid, contributed her expertise as an epidemiologist.
The first stoplight decision sparked some outrage. With Vienna, Linz, Graz and the Kufstein district in Tyrol, four regions went from “green” to “yellow”. The consequence: toughening of the mask requirement in retail, gastronomy, events and schools. This is the result of the “medium risk” rating.
Anschober said of the “yellow” regions that this evaluation “was not a cause for drama” because “the cities have more difficulties”, so there is no reason to reproach. He also claimed that there were six other regions close to the yellow card, including Innsbruck, Wels and the Linz-Land district.
- Video: Corona’s traffic light begins with four yellows
Anschober explicitly warned that green “is not a carte blanche. We must continue to be careful.”
Kogler called the first traffic light change an appeal to the federal states, because there are still differences in the pace of testing and contact tracking. Here a competition is needed, “the goal is still 24 hours until the infection is reported and contacts are traced.” This goal must be reached in the fall: “Gemmas on!” Kurz called on the health authorities to work transparently and precisely.
Schmid called the semaphore an “instrument in progress” that is constantly being improved.
The exact legal basis is still missing; It should arrive at the end of September with the amendment of the Law on Measures and Epidemics. Then, starting in October, the stricter rules on the number of visitors for events in the “yellow” regions will apply.
The next traffic light change will take place on Friday; any color change is explained weekly in a press conference.
Bright outrage in Linz
Reactions to the federal government’s remarks were strong, especially those from Linz. Mayor Klaus Luger (SP) is not thinking of implementing the “yellow” measures for an extended protective mask requirement, which he sees as “pure recommendations that were announced at a press conference.” He has the backing of Governor Thomas Stelzer (VP). Luger went to court with the government for the classification of the state capital: the Corona traffic light was a “true false start, coincidentally a blunder.”
- Video: The first traffic light change awakens feelings
- Video: The mayor of Linz, Luger, and the virologist Puchhammer-Stöckl at the traffic light in Corona
“We were somewhat shocked, not to say horrified,” Luger said of the traffic light classification in Linz, which he described as “arbitrary and unrelated to reality.” Linz is ranked 32nd of the districts in corona cases per 100,000 inhabitants (seven-day average), far behind Innsbruck, Wiener Neustadt or Salzburg, and the number of infected people is decreasing. As Chief Magistrate Ulrike Huemer also said, there is no regulatory base. Therefore, according to Luger, “due to this obscure traffic light construction, no tightening of any kind will take place”, the situation in Linz is “very stable”. This has been agreed with the country. Stelzer confirmed: “The yellow card for Linz is incomprehensible and cannot be traced on the basis of objective figures.”
Who can prescribe?
As for the legal force of the Corona traffic light, opinions differ. Linz takes the position that at least nothing will change until there is a legal basis or a binding federal ordinance. “The constitutional service of the Chancellery and the main lawyers of the advisory council for legal matters confirm that the Minister of Health has the competence to also prescribe the announced measures for the protection of the mouth and nose at the regional level,” Anschober told the OÖN. This ordinance should arrive no later than next Friday.
“You have to ask yourself if a measure is understandable to people. In this case, it is not. Thomas Stelzer, Governor (Vice President)
Image: Volker Weihbold
Stelzer contradicted this: “In our legal opinion, the federal government can only prescribe a mask requirement at the national level and not for individual districts, nor can the state prescribe a mask requirement for a single district.” According to Stelzer, legal responsibility currently rests with the mayor.
