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The educational area, funerals, religious events and manifestations, etc., are exempt from the restriction to a maximum of ten people for celebrations and indoor events. However, according to Education Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP), measures have been agreed that churches must implement voluntarily. This includes mandatory masks during public worship and reduced chanting. As an additional measure, the extension of the VAT reduction for one year was announced. The tightening was announced at a press conference by Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP), Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens), Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) and Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP).
In gastronomy, the mask requirement applies not only to service personnel, but also to guests when they are not seated, that is, on the way to the table or to the bathroom, “wherever there is movement,” Kurz said. Protection of the mouth and nose is also a general obligation to wear outdoors at markets and trade shows. Everything that gives pleasure is “a place of contagion,” said the Chancellor. In the past, infections occurred mostly indoors and in private contacts, Kurz said.
These are “restrictions that hurt, but they are necessary to prevent a second lockdown,” Kurz said. The government is “aware that it means to resign again.” However, it is important to prevent the “catastrophic consequences” that a further lockdown would mean.
Anschober was “clearly concerned” about the increase in hospitalization of corona patients in Austria. Currently, 264 sick people are in normal hospital wards, and 55 are also in intensive care units. Compared with the spring, there were already a large number of sick people, and in the course of the blockade, these numbers experienced a “drop”.
“We are testing more than ever, 15,000 tests are done in 24 hours.”Minister of Health Rudolf Anschober
These numbers cannot be equated, Anschober said, because more are being tested at this time. “We are testing more than ever, 15,000 tests are done in 24 hours.” But this curve “should worry us.” So far there has been a “strong dissociation in the number of infections and hospitalizations.” The reason: the average age of those who tested positive is significantly younger. “Our median age was 58.59 years in the spring and now we are 34.35 years old. More than 20 years apart.”
“We have a wide variety of forecasts,” Anschober said. Stay linear for the next two weeks, there will be 650 to 660 infections per day. The other variant represents a significant increase: up to 1,500 cases of infection per day. “Our room for maneuver is still very great,” Anschober said. “This is a phase in which to set the course”, is convinced the Minister of Health. Therefore, an analysis is carried out every day in a “highly professional manner”.
Around 30 million people around the world have contracted SARS-CoV-2. There are 940,000 deaths to mourn. “Those are dramatic developments.” So far, 35,853 have been infected in Austria and 758 have died.
The FPÖ sees the new restrictions announced by the government as “the death sentence for gastronomy”. “With the further tightening of the crown measures presented today, the black-green federal government is plunging Austria into disaster,” criticized Hofer. The light announced by Kurz at the end of the tunnel turned out to be an oncoming train.
The NEOS are not happy with the measurements either. Health spokesman Gerald Loacker finds it particularly doubtful that restrictions on private events can be controlled at all: “As we saw with the Easter Decree, restrictions and controls on private rooms are not possible.” For Loacker, the government stumbles week after week without a long-term plan.
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