Corona: third confinement in Austria – Panorama

In Austria, as in Switzerland, a third strict lockdown is imminent. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced the new measures at a press conference on Friday night, but the facts had already been leaked hours before: since December 26, “St. be canceled again.

Stores, “body hugging service providers” such as hair salons and schools will be closed until January 17, inclusive, and students will learn in distance lessons. All day departure restrictions apply until January 24. The house can only be left for overriding reasons. This includes shopping, a visit to the doctor, going to work, or relaxing outside. The relaxation of Christmas days will not be affected, on December 24 and 25, up to ten people can meet.

Kurz said that he would like things to go back to normal “no later than summer.” In the short term, the goal is to return to a seven-day incidence of fewer than 100 corona cases per 100,000 population.

Austria continues to report around 2,500 new infections per day, which, measured in population terms, is only slightly behind similarly low values ​​in Germany; the number of deaths is between 100 and 200 people per day, depending on the counting method. Chancellor Kurz and Health Minister Rudi Anschober had already warned in recent weeks that a third blockade might not be avoidable. The time has come.

Overnight only for people with a negative test result

Shortly before this new lockdown ends, mass testing should be done again; Only those that can be evaluated and are negative should be able to visit the shops, hotels and restaurants as of January 18. The test should not be more than a week old.

Not taking a test means all-day exit restrictions until January 24 and the obligation to wear an FFP-2 mask, for example, when shopping or on the way to work. Even students and teachers without a negative test must wear an FFP-2 mask.

The first round of massive testing in the past two weeks had little public interest; only a quarter could be tested.

Bad news is a source of horror, especially in the tourism industry. The ski areas were originally scheduled to reopen on Christmas Day; however, distance rules, mask requirements and capacity restrictions should have been applied in the nacelles. The decision to open was made against resistance from neighboring European countries such as Italy and Germany; They had suggested a uniform exemption from winter sports across the EU until well into January in order to avoid wide-spread events that could result from mass tourism.

Ski areas and tourism associations in Austria had already prepared for the resumption of operations, which, due to entry restrictions, were mainly intended for locals and day tourists. With “broad hygiene concepts” such as periodic disinfection of gondolas, online ticket purchase and queues at elevators and cable cars, tourists were advertised.

Criticism of the tourism minister

A first for the third blockade: the federal states should now apparently make the decision on winter sports. Open or leave closed? The hotelier, innkeeper and economic spokesman for the liberal Neos party, Sepp Schellhorn, was outraged. While Bavaria, French and Italians made it clear weeks ago that there would be no skiing for the time being, Austria’s Minister of Tourism, Elisabeth Köstinger, has kept the cable car in operation since December 24. Cable car operators have been developing appropriate concepts and hiring employees since November 17. “The slopes do not fix themselves.” Your company just installed a ski kiosk as an alternative to the ski hut, and now you have to write off goods and preparatory work that has already been commissioned. By transferring responsibility for opening ski operations to the federal states, the governors are blaming the ball. “So everything becomes a country roulette.”