The new Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) will start discussions immediately after the handover.
On Wednesday mornings, the federal and state governments meet in Vienna for the summit – so that the decision on how to proceed after December 11th is made in good time. On this day, the current Austria-wide lockdown ends for everyone.
From the countries – even those of his own party – Nehammer will be able to hear different opinions. The Tyrolean governor Günther Platter (ÖVP) already spoke out vehemently on Sunday for the opening of all areas – not only of trade, but also of gastronomy. Most of the officials and party colleagues are likely to tend towards gradual openings, which the Styrian Hermann Schützenhöfer addressed with a plea for “caution” at the weekend.
Upper Austria does not want to open until December 17th at the earliest
Even if the other federal states should open on December 12th, Upper Austria will not come out of lockdown before the 17th. The numbers would not allow you to unlock earlier, said LH Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) on Monday in an interview with the APA. After that, he wanted to take cautious steps to determine how big these would be, but left it open with reference to the situation in the hospitals. Linz / Vienna. “In Upper Austria, before Austria, we decided on the lockdown and we are planning four weeks,” said Stelzer, the finish line was still December 17th. The development would show “the right trend” since the beginning of the restrictions, but especially with regard to the situation in the hospitals, “we still have a way to go”. The LH therefore sees no option for early opening, as the Chamber of Commerce recently called for.
The infection numbers in the state are clearly down, but the development in the hospitals is slower: On Monday, the crisis team reported 857 new infections – after peak values of over 4,000 at the beginning of the lockdown – and the seven-day incidence is now in all districts dropped below 1,000 again. Nevertheless, nine deaths were reported and the occupancy in the hospitals was still 453 (plus eight) patients in normal and 127 (plus five) in intensive care units. This is still above the critical 30 percent mark for intensive care beds. Overall, Upper Austria could set up 333 ICU units, the critical level is 110.
After December 17th there will be “very well planned opening steps”, announced the LH. The goal must be not to get out of one lockdown now and straight into the next. In short, his ideas for a timetable with which Stelzer will also go to the Corona summit in Vienna on Wednesday are: Open trade, followed quickly by Gastro, Mask and 2G.
Markus Wallner (ÖVP) from Vorarlberg can also imagine a two-stage opening, with a first step on December 12th or de facto 13th December and a second on around December 17th. In any case, the strict lockdown for everyone could only last until December 11th, “that’s what we governors at Achensee discussed.” It remains to be clarified whether the opening should take place as a whole or whether there should be two partial openings. However, Wallner did not want to commit to this yet, he wanted to discuss it with experts first. In any case, on Monday the 13th, the trade should open up in his opinion. In any case, restaurants and hotels should be able to reopen “in good time before Christmas”. Basically, openings are only carried out under strict protective regulations – extensive mask requirement, consistent 2G rule (workplace: 3G), assigned seats in the event area.
Haslauer, too, for gradual opening
Salzburg’s governor Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP) did not want to anticipate the talks on Wednesday, his spokesman said on Monday at the APA request. But he, too, indicated that – subject to the expert opinion – a gradual opening might be possible. In any case, the way of opening up and thus a perspective for the population and the economy until the end of the year must be shown in order to ensure planning security. Haslauer wants to get the opinion of virologists, doctors and statisticians by Wednesday in order to get an idea.
The Lower Austrian Mikl-Leitner understood Platter’s approach – but she wanted to rely on the expertise of the experts on Wednesday, she said on Monday on the sidelines of a press conference in St. Pölten. However, she was “very confident that there will be far-reaching opening steps”.
The Styrian governor Hermann Schützenhöfer (ÖVP) no longer wanted to position himself on Monday. In his office, reference was made to the meeting on Wednesday in Vienna, as it will be “decided together”. In any case, the Styrian Chamber of Commerce urged in a broadcast: Any waiting is “economically unsustainable”, said President Josef Herk, every additional week of closure costs the Styrian economy 100 million euros. “Legal security” and a “comprehensible crisis management” with a clear opening schedule are necessary; this is the only way to regain trust, said Herk.
SPÖ state chiefs did not want to commit themselves to the content
The SPÖ state chiefs did not want to commit themselves to the content: Carinthia’s governor Peter Kaiser (SPÖ) said on APA request: “All the facts must be put on the table at the summit on Wednesday”. One should stick to the priorities in the assessment of the pandemic: “That means that the occupancy in the intensive care units will be a criterion.” And you have to make sure that the schools remain open for face-to-face teaching. And openings should be made dependent on risk minimization: “Large areas of risk – such as night restaurants – must be treated separately. The more coordinated the federal government with the federal states, the sooner we will get out of this lockdown.”
The Burgenland Governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) will assess the current development with experts and coordinate it with other country representatives before the summit on Wednesday, in which he will participate, it said on Monday from his office at the APA. He therefore does not want to communicate a content-related positioning in advance.
The federal coalition partner of the ÖVP, the Greens, advocated cautious opening steps – Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler and club boss Sigrid Maurer made it clear at the weekend. Kogler wants to relax, but is convinced that “we cannot unlock everything overnight. There will have to be further restrictions to protect our health.” Club boss Sigrid Maurer pointed out that there are – in addition to Platter – eight other governors, a health minister, a chancellor and a vice-chancellor: “It’s a fact that we work things out together.”
Source: Nachrichten
