In order not to exacerbate the already tense corona situation and to slow down the rapid increase in the number of infections, the Ebensee carnival was canceled again this year. And yet every twelfth of the 7677 inhabitants of the carnival stronghold is currently positive. Because it was celebrated anyway. Almost everyone wore a mask, but very few wore an FFP2 mask.
“People are simply out of breath,” says Sabine Promberger (SP), Mayor of Ebensee. “They just go out and meet other people.”
“Within a few days, the incidence in Ebensee went through the roof, from 1,700 to more than 8,000,” says Tilman Königswieser, medical director of the Salzkammergut Clinic. “It shows what damage can be done if you celebrate a boisterous carnival despite a pandemic.”
But with a seven-day incidence of 8414.75, Ebensee is only in second place among the Upper Austrian communities with the highest incidence. Sad leader: Rechberg in the district of Perg. Here the incidence is four times higher than the national average of 2577.4.
Nursery closed
Hardly any events have taken place in the community in the past few days and there would have been no parades or balls at carnival either, says Mayor Martin Ebenhofer (VP) of Rechberg – and yet: “In the last few days, the incidence and number of infections have completely exploded.” With an incidence of 10,139.17, Rechberg even leaves Ebensee far behind. The reason for this increase could lie in kindergarten and elementary school. “A lot of people got infected here, and the children then carried the virus home,” says Ebenhofer.
The two care facilities are still closed this week, they are to be reopened next week and the situation in the 1000-inhabitant community will be “reassessed and discussed”. The municipality of Roßbach in the district of Braunau am Inn has almost 100 fewer inhabitants than Rechberg. At 777.78, it has the lowest incidence in the country.
A “positive surprise” for Mayor Franz Bernroitner (VP). “Our vaccination rate is only 60 percent,” he says. “Two weeks ago, an extremely large number were infected. Now we have some peace.” In Roßbach, too, the wave of infections emanated from the kindergarten. Since Wednesday, 8,399 infections have been added in Upper Austria, with a total of 45,344 cases.
Video: The numbers have recently risen sharply throughout Upper Austria
Highest incidence in Upper Austria
1. Rechberg (1006 inhabitants): 10,139
2. Ebensee (7677 inhabitants): 8414
3. Gaflenz (1931 inhabitants): 6576
4. Zell am Moos (1624 inhabitants): 6157
5. Senftenbach (773 inhabitants): 6080
Lowest incidence in Upper Austria
1. Roßbach (900 inhabitants): 777
2. Geiersberg (509 inhabitants): 982
3. Gurten (1196 inhabitants): 1086
4. Geretsberg (1179 inhabitants): 1102
5. Hörbich (398 inhabitants): 1256
Source: Nachrichten
