The number of people infected with corona in Upper Austria rose to 1902 on Friday, the seven-day incidence (cases per 100,000 inhabitants in one week) climbed to 94.1: In view of the increasing numbers, the state crisis team is also preparing for additional measures . “It is a fact that a higher dynamic has developed in the past few days,” says health officer LH.-Deputy. Christine Haberlander (VP). One consequence is that “we have to prepare for the implementation of the high incidence decree of the Ministry of Health”.
This means exit controls in districts with a high number of infections: from a seven-day incidence of 300 on seven consecutive days, leaving the district is only permitted with valid 3-G proof. Checks end when the incidence drops below 200 again.
This scenario could occur in the next few weeks in the most severely affected districts of Wels (current incidence 202.7), Eferding (158.8), Gmunden (120.5) and Kirchdorf (110.2).
Haberlander is not happy with it – and takes the federal government to duty: The Ministry of Health must revise the decree from May: “The situation is different today because of the vaccinations.” In addition to the incidence, the burden on the hospitals must also be assessed. Haberlander made further demands to the federal government: The border controls would have to be strengthened, because a “considerable part of the newly infected” are returning travelers.
Haberlander demanded that there must also be clear guidelines from the Ministry of Health for booster vaccinations (“third stitch”).
The “systemic risk” for the hospitals is currently not comparable with that of the second wave, says Tilman Königswieser, medical director in the state crisis team. In November, every tenth infected person had to be admitted to the hospital, “now only three out of a hundred”. Like Primary Bernd Lamprecht, head of the lung department at the Kepler University Clinic (KUK), he appealed to be vaccinated: The vaccination has proven to be “even more efficient than in the studies,” said Lamprecht. The risk of transmission is also “significantly reduced”.
Almost all patients are not vaccinated
So-called breakthroughs in vaccination (illness of vaccinated people) are “the absolute exception” according to the doctors. On Friday, AGES put the proportion of vaccination breakthroughs at 1.3 percent among those who were fully immunized.
In Upper Austria’s hospitals, 42 Covid patients were in the normal and eight in the intensive care units on Friday. Among the latter were two vaccinated. However: You suffered from a general severe impairment of the immune system. Styria also officially reported the number of vaccinated Covid hospital patients: zero. The Austrian Society for Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine has also published an urgent corona vaccination appeal. (desire)
The “third stitch”
The National Vaccination Committee recommends a Corona booster vaccination for people aged 65 and over and high-risk patients six to nine months after the second vaccination, for all other adults after nine to twelve months. In Upper Austria, however, around 40 percent still have to be achieved for the first partial vaccinations. The country wants to intensify the information campaign.
