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VIENNA

How Austria celebrated dining out after a six-month lockdown

With Covid-19 certificates in hand, Austrians on Wednesday could once again file into restaurants and cafes after more than six months of restrictions.

How Austria celebrated dining out after a six-month lockdown
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz partially obscured by some delicious beer. Photo: JOE KLAMAR / AFP

To grab a seat, patrons needed to have a document proving that they’ve been vaccinated, tested negative or recently recovered from Covid-19.

Along with eateries, the Alpine EU member also opened hotels, sports, leisure and cultural venues including the renowned Vienna State Opera.

IN PICTURES: Austria celebrates in beer gardens after six-month lockdown ends

“It feels strange after so many months,” said 46-year-old Christoph Neubauer, an insurance broker enjoying a coffee with a colleague in the historic Cafe Central in downtown Vienna.

“But I really look forward to tonight, because I have a reservation for a restaurant, and I expect it to be busy,” he told AFP.

Many restaurants reported being fully booked, especially as new regulations limit the number of people per table to four indoors, with a mandatory minimum distance of two metres (6.6 feet) between groups.

EXPLAINED: What are Austria’s new coronavirus measures?

“Economically speaking, there’s no point in opening with this limited capacity, but we really wanted to light a beacon of hope by opening,” said Andrea Winkler, who runs Cafe Mozart and the Australian pub Crossfield’s.

“It’s really to give us and our staffers something to do — it’s really against our nature to do nothing all day long,” Winkler said.

Right across the street, underneath the Albertina, one of Vienna’s most popular art museums, Josef Bitzinger, whose family has run Augustinerkeller restaurant since the 1950s, said though many patrons were excited about the reopening, overall the atmosphere was still subdued.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Tourism Minister Elisabeth Koestinger, Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler and the secretary for culture Andrea Mayer have lunch in the garden of Schweizerhouse (Swiss house) restaurant at Prater amusement park in Vienna, Austria. Photo: Joe Klamar/AFP
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Tourism Minister Elisabeth Koestinger, Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler and the secretary for culture Andrea Mayer have lunch in the garden of Schweizerhouse (Swiss house) restaurant at Prater amusement park in Vienna, Austria. Photo: Joe Klamar/AFP

“I was expecting a big hoorah, but it doesn’t look like it — not yet,” he said, adding the masses of tourists who usually descend upon downtown Vienna were still missing, while some Austrians also remained hesitant to go out.

“But I think this will improve day by day now, and by June or July, hopefully it’ll all be good again,” he told AFP. But the new rules may also be putting off some people.

“It’s complicated. I wanted to get a coffee, but I’m still waiting for my test results,” Brigitte Gruber told AFP at Naschmarkt, an outdoor market in downtown Vienna.

She added the new rules “obliged people to do things that they don’t want to do, such as getting vaccinated”.

A third of Austria’s nine million people have been vaccinated so far. The country has recorded some 10,500 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

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HEALTH

Tens of thousands of workers in Austria hit by Covid and flu as cases rise

Does it seem like everyone around you in Austria is sick? As it turns out, statistics support your suspicions.

Tens of thousands of workers in Austria hit by Covid and flu as cases rise

Last week, over 110,000 people in Austria were absent from work due to COVID-19, influenza, or flu-like diseases.

Statistics from ÖGK policyholders, Austria’s largest public health insurer, indicated that more than 400 individuals were specifically impacted by influenza (“real flu”), while over 84,000 stayed home due to flu-like symptoms. ÖGK’s chief physician, Andreas Krauter, highlighted a noticeable uptick in sick days via a statement on Monday.

The news comes Austria struggles with 10,000 more COVID-19 infections. than at the same time last year. Several variants of the Omicron strain of the virus are currently under observation by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and with temperatures plummeting, it is thought that a colder winter could further boost cases. 

Austria was a centre of several COVID-19 outbreaks in the early months of the pandemic, and stringent measures were introduced across the country in order to tackle its spread. 

READ MORE: How can I get a Covid or flu vaccine in Austria this autumn?

In his statement, Krauter emphasised the efficacy of masks in offering reliable protection against infection and curtailing further transmission. He particularly stressed the importance of considering this protective measure for individuals with underlying health risks. “For them and everyone else, we recommend vaccination against Covid-19 and influenza. Washing your hands is also important”, he said in a press release.

In total, ÖGK recorded 297,000 individuals afflicted by various illnesses or injuries and registered for sick leave during the last week.

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