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IIn Austria, the Conservative-Green government is trying to cope with pressure from the economy and the population by relaxing the crown’s restrictions at the regional level. In the federal state of Vorarlberg, where the number of infections and other factors seem more favorable than in the rest of the country, the restaurant trade will reopen in mid-March subject to conditions. The seven-day incidence there is around 70 compared to a national average of 160.
For the whole of Austria, the government has planned to open the restaurant trade, at least in the outdoor area, for March 27, a week before Easter. Outdoor youth and school sports should be allowed again from the middle of the month, provided there is no exponential growth in the number of infections.
“We are a tourist country”
The announcement by Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) that tourism and culture will open “an opening perspective” in April is subject to this reservation. “We are a tourist country, a cultural country,” Kurz said. Much of the added value depends on this industry.
On the other hand, the Vienna government wants to take into account the regional high number of infections with a “safety net”, as Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) put it. That is “the second side of the coin.” In particularly affected areas, for example the districts of Hermagor (Carinthia) or St. Johann im Pongau (Salzburg), there should be an obligation to carry out an exit test, as it already applies to the whole of Tyrol. The obligation to wear FFP2 masks in workplaces will also be expanded.
Vorarlberg sees himself, in the words of Governor Markus Wallner (ÖVP), as a “pilot region” for the initial steps that will hopefully later also be possible in other federal states. Kurz referred to the geographical location of the country in the extreme west of Austria: He did not expect that there would be large “evasive movements” from the east to be able to use the gastronomy there, for example. Prior to these announcements, Kurz and Anschober had consulted with state governors for hours on Monday night, and beforehand with opposition leaders as well. There was strong pressure from the federal states to reopen the catering trade soon. Medical professionals had publicly advised against the initial steps.
Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) made the argument at the joint press conference of state representatives and the federal government that it makes more sense to allow contacts to take place in a controlled way in the restaurant sector than in an uncontrolled way in the private sector. For him, restaurateurs and event organizers are “our allies”. When opening the doors, the principle applies: “The outside is better than the inside”. In Vienna, this applies in particular to so-called pub gardens, that is, tables on public grounds in front of bars.
Millions of people tested per week
In the summer, the government wants to allow wide freedoms for those who have been vaccinated or who are considered immune because they have survived an infection. To this end, Vienna supports the introduction of a “Green Passport” in the EU. Apparently, at least for Austria, regular tests, we are talking twice a week, should allow the same status as a vaccine. According to MedUni Vienna Vice Chancellor Oswald Wagner, between two and 2.5 million people are already tested in Austria each week. That’s more than a quarter of the population, more than anywhere else in the world.
Stores in Austria have been open for two weeks now. This had led to crowded shopping streets in Vienna and other cities over the weekend in good weather. The conditional relaxation strategy goes hand in hand with significantly more new coronavirus infections. This can be partly explained by the high density of tests that are publicly offered for free. The greatest increase can be seen in children and adolescents. According to Kurz, this is because the weekly tests when attending school – again possible two weeks ago – mean that this area is better “lit” than before.
But the number of Covid-19 patients in both intensive care units and hospitals in general has increased. It is still far from its capacity limits, unlike in November 2020. However, virologists and statisticians warn that the spread of the British mutant, especially in eastern Austria, could lead to a rapid increase, especially with further relaxation.
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The opposition in Vienna received the announcements partly with skepticism and partly with harsh criticism. The right-wing FPÖ, which has positioned itself fundamentally against the policy of restrictions related to the crown, is one of the critics. FPÖ President Norbert Hofer considered that the “carrot and stick” policy would further divide the country and should therefore be rejected.
The president of the Social Democratic SPÖ, Pamela Rendi-Wagner, however, warned of the return of the situation last November. At that time, Austria had the highest number of new infections in the world. The current “high risk situation” is the result of the premature opening of the federal government. New openings would be “extremely irresponsible.” The SPÖ leader is, of course, in flagrant contradiction with the Social Democratic governors who are pushing for relaxation.
