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Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) called for regionally different measures a day before deliberations on the status of the crown at the Federal Chancellery.
“The situation in many intensive care units will be dramatic if strong and effective countermeasures are not taken very quickly in the most affected regions. We must have the courage to pull the emergency brake in individual regions that are particularly severely affected,” he said in a broadcast on Sunday.
Prevent “collapse in intensive care units”
Politicians must “take all necessary measures on Monday so that there is no collapse anywhere in the intensive care units,” the minister said. Anschober referred to the difficult situation, especially in the east: “Eastern Austria is currently particularly affected by the strong dominance of the British variant.” In Lower Austria, for example, the highest level was last autumn with 115 patients, “today 80 people with severe Covid are treated in ICU (intensive care units, note)”. Vienna, which is always a treatment center for much of eastern Austria, now reports 152 Covid patients in intensive treatment; in autumn, the maximum was 162, according to the minister.
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Intensive care doctors warn of a dramatic situation
According to Klaus Markstaller, president of the Austrian Society of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine (ÖGARI), in some regions, especially in the east, intensive care units …
Necessary regional measures
“The amount of infections and also the amount of stress in intensive care units are extremely different from region to region. Therefore, we will need very different measures adapted to different regions tomorrow.” Intensive care units must not collapse: “Hard triage must never become a reality in Austria.” In individual regions, the situation is not only reminiscent of autumn, but “could even become more dramatic if the appropriate countermeasures are not taken.”
Anschober also noted that a total of 410 seriously ill Covid patients had to be treated in intensive care on Sunday, “that’s 16 more than yesterday.” In the last week, this means a further increase of around 14 percent. “The prognosis supposes an additional increase to 515 patients in ICU at the end of the month. The so-called stopping distance, the duration of the effectiveness of measures taken on the surface in intensive care units, is estimated at almost three weeks. “
Crown numbers keep increasing
Austria is “like many European countries meanwhile in the third wave,” the department head repeated in his warning. The number of infections in Austria would not increase as rapidly as in autumn, “but they are increasing dramatically.” The decisive difference from autumn is that the infection rate is now dominated by the British variant. This is more contagious, more dynamic and leads above all to significantly more serious disease courses “and also to more serious diseases in the younger affected people.”
British variant already extended
The spread of the British variant (B.1.1.7.) Is already 95 percent in Burgenland, 84 percent in Carinthia, 80 percent in Vienna and 75 percent in Lower Austria. In the Austrian average it already has a share of 74 percent, that is Anschober.
The minister also referred to “the current discussion in Germany, which is also showing increases, but not even half of the 7-day incidence in Austria as a national average.” However, there are now “in many cases increasingly stringent requirements due to increases, which will be decided tomorrow.”
WHAT / GEORG HOCHMUTH
Relaxation according to Rendi-Wagner “excluded”
On Monday, the government will again advise on how to proceed with the crown measures. SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner urgently warns against easing.
The opposition had previously called on the government to act quickly on Sunday. SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner spoke out against the APA against any relief and warned of a “collapse of intensive care units.” FPÖ boss Norbert Hofer still rejected the shutdown, but was ready for “any form of cooperation” that “could get Austria out of the crisis more quickly”. NEOS chief Beate Meinl-Reisinger called for tests and “more differentiated measures” than before.
No relief in sight
In reality, there should have been more easing measures on Monday: The federal government originally announced that it would allow open-air restaurants starting March 27. Currently only in Vorarlberg, which has significantly lower infection rates than the rest of the country, the first relief in effect.
