Is a curfew possible? Corona measures likely to tighten – Coronavirus Vienna

Austria is likely to face a significant tightening of the crown’s measures in the coming days. According to media reports, the government is discussing “measures similar to those of a confinement” and there is also a curfew in the room. The government will discuss the capacity of the beds in the afternoon. A press appearance is planned later, but no further measures should be announced today. Corona’s traffic light will likely turn red much of Austria on Thursday.

New measures could likely take effect next week and restrict public life. But they will probably be less severe than in spring. This scenario, also known as “blocking light” in the media, should be comparable to the measures taken in other countries, for example with those that will be applied in Germany from Monday. There, restaurants and leisure, cultural and sports facilities have to close for four weeks; Only members of two households can meet in public (a maximum of ten people). Schools, kindergartens and the entire retail sector remain open in Germany. According to “Standard”, the government is also discussing a conversion of the upper levels to distance education.

According to the “Oberösterreichische Nachrichten” (online), the Austrian federal government, unlike Germany, should also consider a night curfew. Therefore, the restriction could apply (as in the Czech Republic) from 9 pm to 5 am, a variant is also possible between 11 pm and 6 am, the newspaper writes. There were no comments from the Federal Chancellery to the APA.

This “exit rule” can only be issued if there is a threat of a collapse in healthcare. In this case, the exit from the private living room could be restricted. In any case, it would be allowed to leave the apartment in an emergency, to attend to people and children in need of assistance, to go shopping (“covering basic needs”), for professional purposes and in general for physical and mental relaxation in the air free. The maximum duration of that curfew would be ten days.

“Entry bans” are also possible, as was the case in the spring. For example, it could be regulated how many customers can be in a store at the same time, what means of transport can be used or under what conditions a hotel room can be rented in “lockdown”. Complete entry bans are also possible (eg in restaurants). The latter would also have to be confirmed by the main committee and limited to four weeks.

The government did not confirm any of the scenarios previously reported in the media to the APA on Thursday. However, it should be clear that the country will face further tightening in the coming days. The reason for this is the increasing number of new infections, as well as the increasing use of hospital beds and intensive care. In four weeks, the number increased from 88 to 224 patients in intensive care (as of Wednesday), another 1,345 corona patients were more recently in normal wards. And as of 8:00 am on Thursday, more than 4,246 new positive tests were recorded in a 24-hour comparison, according to data from the Resident Epidemiological Registry (EMS); figures (generally divergent) from the Interior Ministry were not yet available in the morning.

A panel of experts on the issue of “bed capacity” is scheduled for Thursday at 1:00 pm at the Federal Chancellery. Press releases are scheduled later (around 2pm). It should be about the number of beds, as well as the level of staff and equipment. The objective should also be to make the gravity of the situation clear to the population and therefore increase their willingness to take further action.

On the government side, Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP), Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler and Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (both Greens) will participate in the meeting. MedUni Vienna virologist Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl, Klaus Markstaller, President of the Austrian Society for Anesthesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine (ÖGARI), Oswald Wagner, Vice Chancellor of MedUni Vienna, Herwig Ostermann, Managing Director of Health Austria and Thomas Hausner are invited to the expert site, Trauma Surgery Specialist at the Lorenz Böhler trauma hospital in Vienna.

Corona traffic light commission meets at night, could cause extensive red change. It is under discussion that all of Austria, except seven districts of Carinthia, will be colored red. For the first time, entire federal states would be set at the highest corona warning level. But there is also a general red card for all of Austria.

On Thursday, the FPÖ harshly criticized the rumored closure plans. “For months the black-green government and especially Chancellor Kurz have been warning so intensely about a ‘second wave’ of crown spread that one would think this wave would occur. Otherwise they were apparently completely inactive,” he said the president of the FPÖ club. Herbert Kickl on a broadcast. “Three days ago, Kurz described the confinement as a ‘definitive measure’. He did not hesitate for a long time to go to extremes and take the population into protective custody for health policy once again, probably during the phone call with the Chancellor of Germany. Merkel took a while, “he said, referring to Kurz’s conversation with Merkel on Wednesday about how to proceed.