Government plans tighten for New Year’s Eve – coronavirus –

The exception rule announced last week will reportedly be tightened again. The chancellor and vice chancellor want to discuss the details with the governors on Friday night. After that, it should be clear what contact restrictions apply on the next vacation.

Basically, the contact restrictions that already apply before the “strict” lockdown currently apply: night visits to other people’s apartments are prohibited between 8 pm and 6 am During the day, six adults can meet (plus six children) from two households. However, the government has announced more generous regulation for holidays. Gatherings of up to ten people from any number of households should be possible on December 24, 25, 26 and 31.

On Friday night, the government wants to discuss with state governors which of these exceptions are justifiable given the high number of infections. According to reports, there should definitely be stricter restrictions on New Years Eve. Another topic should be the massive Covid tests, where Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) has announced a decision on the date of this week’s second round. The countries responsible for implementation had proposed January 8-10.

Kurz and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) want to announce details after the conference with the governors.

Recently, there was a debate on whether Austria ended its “hard lockdown” too soon. Because new infections have decreased since the mid-November peak, but are still higher than in Germany, where further tightening is already being discussed.

Yet 60 percent of Austrians do not want their New Year’s celebrations spoiled, as a representative online survey by Makam Research GmbH among 600 Austrians aged 20 and over showed.

After the year 2020 was marked by Corona’s measures, a good 60 percent at least don’t want the New Year to spoil and plan to welcome in the New Year as usual. A small part, namely three percent, do not want to take any risks and even accept their own isolation in the days leading up to December 31, so as not to have to go without celebrations in a wider circle of friends and family in the new Year Eve.

For 14 percent of those surveyed, legal measures in the course of Crown regulations affect their celebrations. For example, you cannot attend certain events such as dances, visits to cabaret or celebrations in pubs or hotels.

Only 18 percent of Austrians take the current measures or recommended restrictions to contain contagion as an opportunity to plan celebrations on a much smaller scale than usual and thus reduce contacts with friends, acquaintances and family. For two percent of the population, this has the effect that this year it will only enter the New Year for the first time.