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Did the Tyrolean authorities deliberately minimize the risk of corona in Ischgl in the spring? Researchers have been investigating this question in recent months. Today they present their report.
By Clemens Verenkotte, ARD-Studio Vienna
How did the Tyrolean authorities react to the outbreak at the Corona Ischgl hotspot and what decisions were made when and by whom in the state of Tirol? The report of the commission of experts chaired by the former Vice President of the Supreme Court, Ronald, is under great tension in the Tyrolean state parliament. Rohrer waited. Rohrer is considered highly respected, respected, and most of all, independent.
Five months after being commissioned by the Tyrolean state parliament, he and the other members of the expert commission present their results. Numerous files and internal documents of the authorities were viewed and more than 50 people were interviewed, under from the tourism industry, cable car managers, people infected with Covid-19 and officials in districts, the state and federal government. As one of the first opposition politicians in Tyrol, the leader of the liberal parliamentary group NEOS in the Innsbruck state parliament, Dominik Oberhofer, questioned the crisis management of the black-green state government.
The government claims to have done the best it could
He got the impression from the start, Oberhofer told him HIGH-Studio Vienna, “that they want to cover up something here and that is absolutely doubtful and only aggravates the damage and in many conversations members of the government have tried again and again to explain it, and what bothers me so much is that in this whole case the local patriotism , ‘We are doing everything right’ was emphasized from the beginning. “
In the immediate aftermath of the chaotic departure of thousands of tourists from Ischgl on March 13, the day the quarantine was imposed on the Paznaun Valley and St. Anton am Arlberg, the state health councilor Bernhard Tilg made a decision on the program ORF news agency “Zib2”: I think the Tyrolean authorities acted very correctly. Foreign media give the impression that the Corona virus originated in Ischgl. But it’s not like that “.
The basic thesis of the Tyrolean provincial government under governor Günther Platter of the ÖVP, according to which, in hindsight, some decisions could have been made earlier but reacted with the best of knowledge and belief, was shaken at the end of last week: the news magazine “Profil” and the “ORF” “ZiB2” news program reported, referring to documents provided by the Tyrolean authorities, that the risk of infection in Ischgl had been deliberately minimized and, in some cases, it had been minimized.
Questioned evidence
For example, the first warning from Icelandic authorities on March 5, according to which 14 returnees from Ischgl had tested positive, was seen by the responsible district captain after consulting with Governor Platter with the reading of the statement from press: “Icelandic guests can enter the Tyrolean Oberland have contracted the coronavirus on the flight back on the plane.” Thus, “Ischgl could be removed from the shooting range for the time being,” according to an email from the captain of the district.
The leader of the Tyrolean parliamentary group NEOS, Oberhofer: “I can remember how we had the situation with Icelanders who traveled back to Iceland and then the crown was found to be infected, so we got the test result in Tirol.” Asked question. Provincial Councilor Tilg and the Tyrol provincial government, the crisis team, said: ‘Well, well, in principle an Icelandic test cannot be trusted. So that’s unconfirmed. ‘”
Tyrol’s opposition parties had tabled a motion of no confidence in the state health council in parliament in May, which had been rejected with the votes of the popular party, which has ruled the state for 75 years, as well as the partner of the green coalition. In the same emotionally charged parliamentary session, the Tyrolean state parliament decided to convene a commission of experts to examine the state’s crisis management.
