“The pandemic continues not to stop at national borders, the federal government is required to assess the national situation and accordingly draw up nationally applicable rules that are judged to be sensible based on the current situation,” said the local health councilor LHStv. Christine Haberlander (ÖVP) on Monday. Upper Austria will continue to strictly adhere to the requirements of the federal government, i.e. currently to the applicable 3G rule. New federal guidelines will be implemented in the country.
“It needs nationwide solutions”, demanded the Styrian state chief Hermann Schützenhöfer (ÖVP). After all, it is a matter that “sensibly” could only be regulated nationally. “Styria is the third strongest federal state in terms of immunized numbers, but we are not yet satisfied,” said Schützenhöfer. At the beginning of the pandemic it was said that herd immunity would protect 70 percent of those vaccinated. Now you are at 61 percent of the total population of Styria or around 69 percent of those who are vaccinated. LHStv. Anton Lang (SPÖ) said: “So that what we have achieved so far – economic recovery, falling unemployment figures – has not been in vain, we must do everything we can to prevent another lockdown. The key is vaccination.” That is why the Styrian government and the health authorities appealed once again to accept the many vaccination offers.
Access, tests and contact tracing
The following changes are required: Access to night gastronomy as well as to events (outside and inside) in the cultural and leisure area (opera, theater, cinema, sport) only with full immunization. Access with a test should only be possible for people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Furthermore, there is a need to pay for the test offer for everyone with the exception of those who have been vaccinated and those who cannot be vaccinated. A nationwide cost contribution should be agreed, at least in the amount of the prescription fee of 6.50 euros. All groups of people who are exempt from the prescription fee should also be exempt from the costs of the tests.
Advantages for vaccinated “correctly”
A third requirement is a further preference for the vaccinated in contact tracing. Currently, if they are first-degree contacts, they are classified as second-degree contacts. It is demanded that there is only the recommendation of contact restrictions for vaccinated persons, but no more official segregation or traffic restrictions. “A preference given to those who have been vaccinated can only be regulated nationwide. It makes no sense if there is one regulation in Pinggau in Eastern Styria and another right next door in Mönichkirchen in Lower Austria,” said Schützenhöfer. You also need clarity about the framework for the third trick – which groups, when, which vaccine, demanded Schützenhöfer.
Similar sounds came from Vorarlberg. There they think it is right that “vaccinated people should have certain advantages,” it said on APA request. Handling as a contact person was cited as an example. With regard to possible tightening for unvaccinated people, however, the state would like a nationwide uniform approach, a patchwork of measures should be avoided.
In Carinthia and Tyrol, too, the day before they were open to tightening up if there was a nationwide approach. No preferences were shown in Lower Austria, but it was clear that they wanted a uniform solution. The Burgenland expressly denied the need for additional measures with reference to the high vaccination rate there. In Salzburg, too, no further tightening is currently necessary, according to the office of health officer LHStv. Christian Stoeckl.
Criticism came on Monday from the liberal health spokesman Gerhard Kaniak: “With the current campaign by Kurz, Mückstein and Co. to urge non-vaccinated people to get the corona vaccination, personal freedom is being buried in our republic.” And the medical association is also at the forefront when it comes to “putting people who are critical of vaccinations into the public eye”. The “grandees of the Austrian medical association” may not have understood to this day that people who have been vaccinated can multiply and transmit the corona virus with ease, says Kaniak.
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New regulation in the coming days
The current Covid opening regulation expires on August 31st. Even before that, namely next Thursday (August 19), the provisions on gatherings with more than 100 people, holiday camp provisions, requirements for specialist and public fairs, top-class sports and occasional markets will no longer apply. On Monday, the Ministry of Health responded to an APA request that the revision of the ordinance was currently being voted on. It should be available in the coming days.
Vienna recently passed an ordinance that makes it more stringent compared to the federal regulation – i.e., for example, a mask requirement in all shops. The regulation applies until the end of August. Before deciding on how to proceed, Mayor Ludwig will again consult with experts from the fields of medicine, prognosis or statistics, as was announced on Monday at the APA’s request in the mayor’s office. In the Ludwig office, however, it is not assumed that any special regulations will be announced this week. This will probably only be the case in the following week. In any case, it was emphasized that one would have to wait for the federal ordinance. Because this is the basis for any stricter measures in the federal capital.
