It remains to be seen whether further measures will be taken. As the APA was confirmed from the provincial governor’s offices, the federal government has already requested the appointment. The procedure should be similar to that before summer. The government makes proposals, the countries should express their opinion on them. In addition, experts will submit their expertise. Then the public will be informed.
One was not completely inactive over the summer either. The responsible task force with representatives of several ministries and the federal states had usually exchanged weekly information at civil servant level and will probably also discuss more specific proposals for the coming week.
It would be sufficient to extend the relevant ordinances until the end of September. But the increasing number of infections and in particular the uncomfortably brisk increase in hospitalizations could well lead to more far-reaching measures. For example, an extension of the mask requirement to other interior spaces is under discussion, as it also applied in Vienna so and so over the summer – for example in cinemas or in stores. Shortening the validity of tests is also a not unlikely measure.
Mückstein announces a “very specific plan”
Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) announces a “very specific plan” for dealing with the corona pandemic in autumn. But he did not reveal any details. Because the plan is currently still in final coordination with the coalition partner, said the minister on the sidelines of a press conference on Tuesday. He was “not satisfied” with the current vaccination rate. Therefore, further low-threshold vaccination offers are planned.
The very first goal for Mückstein is to avoid closures. For this purpose, measures have already been taken in the past few weeks, he referred to the requirement of the second stitch for the vaccination entry in the Green Passport, the PCR test obligation for travelers returning from certain countries as well as access to night gastronomy only with vaccination or PCR test. In addition, he had put proposals on the table such as shortening the validity period of antigen tests to 24 hours and an indoor mask requirement.
To increase the vaccination rate, people continue to rely on low-threshold offers such as vaccinations in St. Stephen’s Cathedral or in shopping centers, according to Mückstein. The aim here is to find a mixture of good information and additional offers. He also expects solidarity with the children who are currently unable to be vaccinated up to the age of twelve.
Lockdown “almost impossible”
In order to promote vaccination progress, a 1 or 2-G rule is controversially discussed. The first contender for this is probably night gastronomy, for which tests would no longer be a ticket. Even Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) recently publicly considered this option. According to reports, the People’s Party is ready to allow significantly higher numbers of infections without rigid countermeasures than the Minister of Health. A real lockdown, as the virologist and government advisor Dorothee von Laer had recently prophesied, is almost impossible in government circles if the development is not catastrophic.
Of course, the numbers are already significantly higher than a year ago. Experts assume that the start of school plus the last few people returning from travel will cause the infections to skyrocket again. Further factors are a decrease in vaccination protection for those who were immunized early, which could already be observed in Israel, the loss of protection for those who fell ill last autumn and the fact that public life is increasingly moving indoors again. Home office is also not used as often as it was a few months ago.
The peak of the fourth wave is then expected in October or November. At least in terms of the number of infections, it should be significantly stronger than the previous ones. In some countries, it is suspected that the hospital capacities could become tight again, despite the vaccinations. It is well known that immunizations do not offer 100 percent protection. For example, six of the 20 corona patients in Vorarlberg’s hospitals were immunized today.
