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TODAY IN AUSTRIA

Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

Find out what's going on in Austria on Friday, with The Local's short roundup of today's news.

A cyclist rides on the Grossglockner high alpine road, in the mountains of the Hohe Tauern, near Zell am See. (Photo by ALEXANDER KLEIN / AFP)
A cyclist rides on the Grossglockner high alpine road (Grossglockner-Hochalpenstrasse), in the mountains of the Hohe Tauern, near Zell am See. (Photo by ALEXANDER KLEIN / AFP)

Tyrol economy hit hardest by Covid-19 pandemic

Tyrol was the federal state most most severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic according to the Austrian Institute for Economic Research (Wifo).  The economy in the region collapsed by 9.2 percent compared to the pre-crisis year 2019, Wiener Zeitung newspaper reports.

Salzburg and Styria also suffered disproportionately hard, with a drop of 6.8 percent each. The east came off best in terms of regional economic development last year – with an economic slump averaging 5.7 percent in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland.

The losses in value added and employment were lowest in the eastern region, and the rise in unemployment there was also weakest.

Vaccine bus in Salzburg today

A vaccination bus was on the road for the first time on Thursday in Salzburg. The first stop was the Schranne. It will allow people to be vaccinated without registering first. In the coming days and weeks the bus will travel to numerous communities and will also be available for events throughout Salzburg, broadcaster ORF reports. 

Seven day incidence is 28.3

The seven-day incidence or the number of new infections with the coronavirus in the past seven days per 100,000 inhabitants, is 28.3. The number is still highest in Salzburg (72.8) and Vienna (38.6). The value is lowest in Burgenland (10.1) and Lower Austria (14.3).

Novartis will continue to be produced in Tyrol

The Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis wants to continue producing the coronavirus vaccine CureVac in Kundl (Tyrol).

According to the group, 50 million vaccine doses are to be delivered this year, broadcaster ORF reports. However, so far, the vaccine has not been approved in the EU.

Nature group demands apology

The Salzburg Nature Conservation group is demanding an apology from  Agriculture Minister Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP). 

She blamed the group for delaying flood prevention works which she said led to flooding devastation in Hallein when the Kothbach River overflowed its banks last weekend, Der Standard newspaper reports. The group is also calling for an investigation into the events which led to the flooding. 

READ MORE: Flooding causes chaos across Austria

Woman injured by deer while hiking in Tyrol 

A woman was injured by a male deer while hiking in the Grammbachklamm in Thiersee Landl in Tyrol. The 23-year-old German and two Austrians tried to drive the animal away with sticks and by shouting, but the aggressive roebuck attacked them in any case.

Broadcaster ORF reports the deer may have lost its fear of humans after being raised by them. 

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