Today, Upper Austria is the last federal state to end the four-week lockdown, but only for those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered. In addition to retail, body-hugging service providers, the gastronomy and hotel industry will open again in compliance with the 2G rule, while night-time catering will remain closed for the time being.
Governor Thomas Stelzer and his deputy, Health Councilor Christine Haberlander (both VP), appealed to the population in view of the reopening to continue to comply with the protective measures and to go to the vaccination. “It is up to everyone whether this opening also means hope or whether another emergency brake will be necessary to protect the hospitals from being overloaded.” The green state spokesman, Provincial Councilor Stefan Kaineder, spoke of a “lockdown end in Upper Austria with an Omikron flavor”.
Josef Wiesinger from the trade division of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce sees the mood in retail as “not particularly good” after the lockdown, especially since the Christmas business has hardly started up so far. “And that can no longer be made up for.”
The reopening was all the more longed for by all those affected. “There is a spirit of optimism.” The early sell-off leads to “very positive expectations”.
The mood is also good in the Vöcklabruck shopping center “Varena” with regard to today’s reopening. “Everything is being polished to a shine, the warehouses are full, the employees are very motivated,” said managing director Thomas Krötzl yesterday.
Open shops on Sunday
It is only to be hoped that enough customers will come and that the Christmas shopping has not already been made online, says Krötzl of an “exceptional situation”: “I have never found it so difficult to assess the situation.”
Friedrich Werdecker of “Elektroland Mattighofen” also sees the situation rather bleak: “The stationary trade is on the ground,” said the senior boss of the Innviertel electronics store. The losses incurred could not be cushioned by the upcoming Sunday opening. “But we’ll try to make the best of it.” Mail order at least went well during the lockdown.
“Not relaxed, but also not panicked,” said Thomas Saliger, company spokesman for XXXLutz, describing the mood. At the beginning of the week, business throughout Austria had “got off to a good start”. However, due to the ongoing lockdown for unvaccinated people, the frequency of the Christmas business of the previous year could not be matched this year. “That’s around 25 percent of customers who can’t shop right now.”
Economics treasurer Wiesinger, on the other hand, sees a problem in the current corona demonstrations, as he says: “The incomprehensible demonstration will paralyze traffic and shopping centers. And that also destroys the shopping mood. I have no understanding for that.”
Demos only allowed from 6 p.m.
A first measure has therefore now been taken in Vienna: demonstrations are only allowed from 6 p.m. on this shopping weekend.
Source: Nachrichten
