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A man walks through the closed Vienna Naschmarkt. In eastern Austria, the crown’s measures will tighten around Easter. Photo: Helmut Fohringer / APA / dpa
Source: dpa-infocom GmbH
Chancellor Merkel cancels the Crown Easter break for Germany. In neighboring Austria, it is going the other way. One of the main reasons: the British variant of the virus.
Wien (dpa) – In Vienna and other eastern regions of Austria, the Crown’s measures tighten around the Easter holidays.
A short “Easter break” is necessary to avoid the threat of overloading clinics in the capital and in Lower Austria and Burgenland, said Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens).
The seven-day incidence in the eastern federal states is almost 300, well above the Austrian average of around 247. This has to do with the strong spread of the British variant of the virus, which also leads to serious disease Covid faster, Shooting in said in front of reporters.
That is why a “breakwater” against the pandemic is now necessary. “We really want to massively exhaust operations in this phase of Holy Week,” said the minister. Merchants, hairdressers and masseurs are closed from Holy Thursday until the Tuesday after Easter. Businesses for daily necessities are excluded, Anschober announced after lengthy negotiations with the heads of government of the three regions. Unlike in Germany, shops and businesses in Austria usually open on Good Friday. Also, people should only go out for walks, sports and urgent trips during the holidays.
Schools will switch to online teaching for a week after Easter. In addition, the requirement for a mask is reinforced in companies and in crowded outdoor places. Travelers from neighboring countries to the east, such as the Czech Republic and Hungary, must submit two negative tests per week instead of the previous one.
Negotiators closely followed Chancellor Angela Merkel’s withdrawal from the German Crown’s Easter break, the German Press Agency learned in informed circles. However, Austrian politicians eventually decided to toughen it up. The situation in intensive care units was an important argument. In Vienna and Lower Austria, more than half of the beds intended for Covid patients are already occupied in intensive care units. Burgenland is approaching the two-thirds mark.
Before the decision, Austria’s trade association criticized the leaked plans. Closed days cost jobs but don’t prevent infections, association director Rainer Will said. “The only company that would benefit greatly from this and that can look forward to an early Easter present is Amazon.”
On Monday, after speaking with the nine federal heads of state, the federal government initially refrained from taking further action despite the growing trend of infection and continued to rely on mass testing and vaccinations. On Wednesday, Anschober warned that the trend of the crown in eastern Austria could spread to the rest of the country. Therefore, the lockdown should be seen as a pilot project.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210324-99-957923 / 2
