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The number of infections continues to rise in Austria: the Ministry of Health recorded 3,344 new infections from Friday to Saturday. Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) has spoken out clearly against easing the situation ahead of deliberations on the coronavirus situation scheduled for Monday.
AUSTRIA. At the moment, there is no phase where “significant easing is at stake,” Anschober said on Saturday in “Ö1-Journal zu Gast.” “Now we must make a very massive effort in the regions that are now mainly affected, so that we stabilize this growth in intensive departments as far as possible so as not to allow excessive demands or overloads,” Anschober said in an interview with Ö1.
The British mutation is a headache
The spread of the most contagious and “dynamic” mutation variant, which first appeared in Britain, is currently the problem, according to Anschober. For this, it must be assumed that younger people are also more affected and that more severe courses may result. Occupancy in intensive care units is increasing more than before. Anschober also referred to regional differences; the number of infections in Austria is currently increasing at different rates. It also has mutations in the future, to which we must respond.
Consultations on Monday
On Monday, the federal government will repeatedly discuss how to proceed with the coronavirus crisis and new measures with experts, the opposition and state governors. Until then, they want to closely monitor the numbers, the Foreign Ministry told the APA on Friday. An extension of the Easter holiday was reportedly recently discussed as a possible option, with experts also putting a mandatory home office into play.
3,344 new infections
To date, there have been 511,440 corona cases in Austria, 9,052 people have died and 470,684 have recovered. 1,844 are hospitalized, of which 394 are intensive. Currently, 1,844 people are receiving hospital treatment due to the corona virus. 394 of them are cared for in intensive care units.
New infections in the federal states since yesterday’s report:
- Burgenland: 108
- Carinthia: 216
- Lower Austria: 756
- Upper Austria: 388
- Salzburg: 250
- Steiermark: 457
- Tyrol: 281
- Vorarlberg: 32
- Vienna: 856
SPÖ-Kucher criticizes “vaccination chaos”
The “chaotic management of the government crown” and how Kurz and Anschober deal with it, criticized the SPÖ health spokesman, Philip Kucher, in response to the statements of the Minister of Health in the ORF-Ö1- “Guest in the magazine” . “Instead of admitting obvious mistakes, correcting them and starting over, Kurz and Anschober continue to clean themselves of employees and officials. But, without a doubt, it is up to the higher government and the specialist minister to inquire about the status of vaccine procurement,” he emphasizes Kucher.
Green Pass: Summit of European Tourist Countries
This week the European Commission presented a draft for the implementation of the “Green Passport”. Anyone who has recovered, vaccinated or tested should be able to travel again as soon as possible with the “Green Pass”. In recent weeks, Austria had made several attempts in this direction through Federal Chancellor Kurz and Minister Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP), and the EU Commission had accepted these proposals. The “Green Pass” must contain vaccination certificates, test certificates and recovery certificates and be an instrument to regain freedom to travel.
Tourism Minister Köstinger invites the EU’s major countries of origin and tourism to a summit to discuss how to proceed together. “We want to use the ‘Green Passport’ as soon as possible, the more EU countries join, the sooner we can implement it. The validity and readability throughout Europe of this digital application is an essential foundation, ”continues Köstinger. Specifically, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Portugal, Bulgaria, Malta, Cyprus, Slovakia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France and Austria will participate in this summit.
Should the government allow easing?
Anschober: “We are in the third wave”
