[ad_1]
The Austrian government expected a 60 percent turnout, compared with just two million who turned out for mass screening in a country with a population of nearly nine million. This is just over 20 percent nationwide. Of course, it varies from province to province, with the majority, about 38 percent of the population going to Lower Austria, and the least to Vienna, 13.5 percent. According to Viennese health adviser Peter Hacker, the low turnout in the capital can also be justified by the fact that the city of Vienna has been conducting tests on its own for a long time.
The freed 4,200 people were found out of two million people. Anyone whose first rapid antigen test was positive was confirmed by a PCR test. Of course, although to varying degrees, there were false positive results, so it was necessary to perform a PCR test in all cases that were positive by the rapid test. Regarding infection levels, approximately similar results were obtained in the provinces: one positive case was found that varied between 0.14 and 0.53 percent.
Health Minister Rudolf Anschober called the first round of testing a great start despite low turnout. He stressed that the 4,200 infections examined were asymptomatic, so they could be identified before they infected others. “After all, that was the purpose of the tests,” he added.
Several provinces, such as Tyrol and Upper Austria, have also announced plans to continue testing in the week before and after Christmas, in order to facilitate peace of mind and safety for relatives. The free screening offered by the capital also remains open to all.
Meanwhile, the Austrian Ministry of Education announced on Tuesday that winter school holidays are extended due to coronavirus epidemicbecause I want to evaluate both teachers and students before resuming teaching. In Austria, winter break usually lasts until January 6, the water cross, education would start on the 7th, but due to testing, this time the children and teachers will not return to school until January 11. The tests will be voluntary, but is “strongly recommended” for upper secondary and secondary students, the newspaper Der Standard wrote, adding that it has not yet been decided whether it will be mandatory for teachers.
In Austria, 2,628 people have recently been diagnosed with the virus in the last 24 hours, and 326,548 cases have been recorded since the outbreak began. The number of people hospitalized for coronavirus is 3,524 and the number of people in need of intensive care is 573. 118 people died from complications of the infection last day, bringing the death toll to 4,648.
[ad_2]
