Lockdown: Rumor has it, curfew is very popular – Coronavirus Vienna

Until recently, Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) couldn’t imagine it, but the second crown lockdown will come next week. Exactly what it looks like is still being negotiated. But there are growing signs that there will be a night-out restriction and that the restaurant industry will have to cancel around November.

It was already known yesterday that a curfew is being discussed. The “Kurier” now reports online that this will be largely canceled, that is, between 8pm and 6am. Of course, this doesn’t really mean house arrest, because there is no legal prohibition on looking after other people, walking the dog, driving to work or even running late at night. However, private invitations become almost impossible.

Originally it was discussed that with the night closing, in the best case, the gastronomy should remain active during the day. In view of the rapidly increasing numbers, despite corresponding pressure from the economy, restaurants could now be completely closed to guests. It should only be possible to carry and deliver. There is still a fight for compensation, because in addition to the Christmas holidays, which have already been made practically impossible by guest restrictions, now most of the martinigan business is also lost, for example.

It is also rumored that virtually all events have to be canceled. Only professional sports will continue in November, of course without an audience, just as a television event.

Team sports in the amateur area should also be banned for November. The cultural sector with opera, theater and museum performances is likely to close again for a month. Tourist accommodation should also be prohibited in the hotel industry. It also looks bad for cosmetic services like nail salons, while hairdressers can keep them open. Yoga and fitness studios, as well as swimming pools, must also be closed.

It is not yet clear when all this will apply. The last word was on Monday or Wednesday. Individual items may still require approval from the main committee, which, however, could also be collected later. Thanks to the turquoise green majority, this parliamentary decision-making process is really a formal act.

What the government is apparently saving is having to wait days for an ordinance from the Ministry of Social Affairs. This time, it should be available on the day the measures are announced, that is, tomorrow Saturday. As usual, the new blockade will be announced by the main ministers of the government, social affairs and interior. Before that, there will be video meetings with state governors and opposition club leaders.

Ideas of what the new corona measures would look like got more specific on Thursday afternoon. A draft of the corresponding ordinance – available to the APA – contains, among other things, exit restrictions from 8 pm to 6 am and restaurant closings. Events are prohibited, at least zoos, museums and libraries remain open. Visits to hospitals or nursing homes require an on-site test or an effective protective mask.

The draft, which is dated Thursday at 11pm and one or the other will likely be changed, also outlines the exceptions to the night curfew, and these are quite extensive. Among other things, mention is made of caring for and helping people, professional activities, staying outdoors for physical and psychological recovery, but also “meeting the basic needs of daily life.”

Getting a pizza quickly won’t be one of them. Because in restaurants, even to take away, it is 8:00 p.m. A pick-up service can be offered from 6 a.m. The dining rooms (workplaces, hospitals, nursing homes, after-school care centers), dining cars and hotel restaurants remain open for guests of this hotel (until 8 pm at the latest).

Of course, tourists will no longer be able to stay in the accommodations. According to the draft, only those whose holidays are already running will be able to enjoy it until the planned end. Otherwise, rooms can only be provided for people on business trips or in need of accommodation. It gets crowded in November with leisure activities. Sport is still possible, but only if you don’t get too close physically: jogging, yes, playing soccer, no. Only professional athletes can carry out their activity more or less without restrictions, although public access to sporting events is not allowed. In other words, when the regulations come into force, the European Football Cup, for example, will only be able to be seen on television.

Pools, amusement parks, dance schools, indoor playgrounds and much more need to be closed completely. According to the draft, museums, zoos, libraries and parks are excluded.

The events are generally prohibited; Cultural and sporting events, for example, but also fairs, occasional markets, exhibitions, congresses and, last but not least, weddings are explicitly mentioned. Only funerals can continue to be held, but only 50 mourners are allowed. Meetings of organs of political parties or events for religious purposes are excluded from the event ban.

Employees can only enter nursing homes, nursing homes, and homes for the disabled if a molecular or antigenic biological test for corona is performed twice a week and the result is negative. Visitors can only enter these facilities if an antigen test is performed immediately at the entrance and the result is negative, or if an FFP2 mask is worn continuously during the visit. Only one visit per patient is allowed, with the exception of palliative and hospice support. The same rules apply to hospitals and spas, except for the restriction to one person per day.

In addition to a mask requirement that applies to virtually all indoor venues, there are also a number of smaller regulations, such as a ban on overcrowded cars. Only two people are allowed to sit in each row, unless they are from the same household.

This time, in contrast to the first lockdown, retail has escaped a shutdown, but personal restrictions are making a comeback. There must be ten square meters available for each customer. If the store is smaller, only one person can be admitted.

A distance of at least one meter should be maintained between people in the workplace, “unless the risk of infection can be minimized with appropriate protective measures.” The obligation to wear a mouth / nose protection where it is not required anyway (such as in stores) can only be waived with the agreement of the employer and employee.

Long hairstyles will not be the result of the second lockdown. According to information from the APA, hairdressers can keep them open, as well as cosmetic, pedicure and similar salons. However, only one person can be cared for for every ten square meters. Physiotherapy and massages are also allowed, as well as solariums and dog schools.

Fitness studios are closed for this, as are yoga studios and shooting ranges. Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis courts and golf courses are still available for those for whom it is not too cold.

When it comes to walks, there are six people authorized to move in groups, but people can only come from two households. Children are also coming. Basically, the distance of 1 meter does not have to be observed between people who share at least partially a home, that is, generally couples with two apartments.