These are necessary in view of the spreading delta variant and the city said from the start that it would not support all the easing of the federal government, said Health Councilor Peter Hacker (SP) in the “1” lunch journal on Saturday. He understands the displeasure, but Vienna offers all possibilities for tests.
While a lot was eased nationwide on July 1st, the federal capital under SP Mayor Michael Ludwig decided in favor of stricter regulations in some cases. A corona test is mandatory for children from the age of six, for example in restaurants or in the swimming pool. In addition, the so-called living room tests are generally no longer permitted as access authorization in Vienna. This was announced one day before it came into force. Hacker explained the short-term announcement by saying that one had to wait for the federal regulation first and then consult.
He once again expressed disapproval about Tourism Minister Elisabeth Kstinger (VP), who had criticized Vienna’s approach “as completely absurd”. He didn’t consult with Kstinger “and I don’t know why I should”. But he spoke intensively with Health Minister Wolfgang Mckstein (Grne), who had welcomed the city’s actions in the “ZiB” on Friday evening. “I don’t want to talk further about the special virologist Kstinger,” said Hacker.
Hacker expects the first new increase in corona infections from the first return travelers at the end of July. The current vaccination rate of around 50 percent is not enough that it has to be “much higher,” said Hacker. By September it should be 80 percent. In order to achieve this, Vienna will specifically address social groups. For example, young people are attracted to the vaccination with music from modern bands. So-called vaccination parties with live music take place in the Austria Center on weekends.
The spreading delta variant “is much more infectious and makes you sick more quickly,” stressed Hacker, which is why we “urge you to be careful”. “We didn’t make it easy for ourselves and we didn’t do it out of joke and frenzy,” but to prevent another lockdown and further homeschooling, said Hacker. By intensifying the testing of children aged six and over, infections should be detected quickly and the expected fourth wave of infections in autumn should be kept as small as possible, explained the city council.
