Facilitation from December 7: these are the most important points

Chancellor Kurz explained that relaxing the holidays so that ten people can celebrate them is understood “including children.”

“The next few weeks will be a balancing act,” said Chancellor Kurz. He made an “urgent” appeal: we must “keep the record” in the private sphere, as this is where most infections occur. The less you know about other people, the “better we will get through the next few weeks and months,” even if you, as a family, “can find another home” starting Monday.

He thinks it’s nice when people who have a nearby ski area “benefit from it” and “can go skiing for days.”

The Interior Minister stressed that there are “enough days to make purchases.” Controversial images of discount campaigns that drew large crowds before closing should not return: “the police will be there too”.

Six adults and six children can be beaten before 8 p.m., Nehammer said.

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said they would operate a “very strict entry regime” for Christmas. Upon entering the country, he must be “quarantined for at least 10 days, after which he can only be tested from the fifth day.” Nehammer referred to “a high number of infections” among returning travelers, especially from the Western Balkans.

The restrictions “will not be easy” for those affected, but they must be met. Nor should “seek entertainment in neighboring countries which is not possible in Austria”. They do not want to “torment” the Austrians, but to achieve the common goal of returning to normalcy.

Nehammer referred to the vertical exit restrictions from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., which will apply again from Monday. “That really lifts us up”, but it is necessary to restrict social contacts.

Austria has “only a few months” until the vaccines gradually come into force. Until then you have to endure, with MNS, distance, hygiene and avoid large crowds, says Health Minister Rudolf Anschober.

The reproduction factor has decreased to 0.87, said Rudolf Anschober. That is the “basic requirement for a downtrend”. The forecast through Dec. 9 shows that by then there will be a reduction to around 2,000 new infections per day, the health minister said.

Intensive care units remain a “great challenge.” Many, many operations that have been postponed now need to “catch up quickly.” And in December, the flu epidemic is also expected to put additional pressure on capabilities.

For a week there has been a slight reduction in occupation in intensive care units, said the Minister of Health. The intensive care beds are occupied until 18.11. It increased “dramatically”, then leveled off and now there are “slight declines for the first time.” In this way, a goal has been achieved: avoid triage. “But there is still a lot to do, we have to further stabilize this trend.” It is a “slow and difficult process”.

A world marked by the pandemic and therefore extremely “difficult year” is coming to an end, said Health Minister Rudolf Anschober. The stabilization and subsequent reduction of new infections through the hard block was successful. Now it is “clearly down every day.” “Every day I go down too slow, but the trend is right,” Anschober said.

By the end of the year, there will be a 50 percent turnover replacement for affected industries (details to be announced by the finance minister), said Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler. Since 31.12. Then the fixed cost subsidy applies. Kogler thanked everyone who “lends a hand” that one can be “so far optimistic.”

“All outdoor sports will be available on December 24,” said the rector, “but not contact or team sports.” There are distance rules, mask requirements, and capacity restrictions for elevators and gondolas. Indoor systems must remain closed.

Museums can open, theaters can remain closed (read more here). Art and culture are “also an essential part of life,” Werner Kogler said. The restrictions are “an imposition”. Bookstores can also open. There is reading material at a time when it is “particularly important.” Museums are re-emerging as places of education, inspiration and reflection.

The situation is more difficult in events. The infection process does not allow any steps. That’s “difficult” for all cultural workers, but “it just doesn’t work right now.” Kogler thanked the cultural sector for the understanding. “There is impatience and sometimes anger, but understanding prevails.”

You need a planning perspective. More details should be announced in two weeks. But “until January 7 there is no prospect.”

Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler said relaxation “didn’t happen fast enough,” especially in intensive care medicine. You will have to do without “the familiar”, but you can start the new year “quite well”, and you want to feed that optimism.

Schoolchildren and their parents are “particularly important to us,” Kogler said. Therefore, normal operations will resume. Matura’s classes can also go back to regular lessons, which is “particularly important”. Grades 5, 6, and 7 remain in distance learning.

These are an important tool to keep the pandemic under control.

One can “always question” the opening procedure and “feel unfair why these opening steps are not laid out in a different order,” Kurz said. But if more were to open at the same time, a next lockdown could be “pre-programmed” for January. It is “to be expected that the figures will increase again at Christmas and at the turn of the year,” but this increase should “be as slow as possible,” said the chancellor. Another lock should be “delayed or ideally avoided”.

Austrians should be able to ski during the Christmas holidays. Other branches, gastronomy, hotels, other parts of culture, will receive opening steps from January 7. There will be “financial compensation,” 50% of lost sales by January 1, Kurz said.

Kurz announced that there should be a “consistent border regime” not to reintroduce the virus at Christmas.

Exit restrictions will be lowered from 8 pm to 6 am Then you can make a budget, “a budget and nothing else,” Kurz said. These are “still severe restrictions,” Kurz said. They want to celebrate a “reasonably safe and dignified Christmas.” Up to 10 people should be able to spend Christmas Eve, holidays, and New Years.

The pandemic “is not over”, infection rates are still at a high level, says the Chancellor. However, the initial steps can be set “cautiously, but nevertheless.” Kurz gave the perspective that an “explosive growth” in the number of infections would have to be avoided for another six months. That would only work with “restrictions” and tests, even from “full federal states.” The falling numbers are “a success, but there is no reason to give the go-ahead.”

On Monday the compulsory schools will open as planned – there will be a “full return” to face-to-face teaching, the higher levels with the exception of Matura’s classes will remain remote. Museums, commerce and libraries would also be opened, with measures such as masks.

The government press conference has started. “For us, the closing phase is difficult, restrictive, drastic,” Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said at the beginning of the statement. But they show “definitely effect”. He expects an incidence of 250 in 7 days, which would be an average of 3,500 new infections per day. We have succeeded in “preventing excessive demands in intensive care”.