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Vienna to further tighten Covid measures from October

As Covid-19 case rates and intensive care admissions continue to rise in Vienna, restrictions are set to be tightened again in the capital.

Published: 21 September 2021 16:15 CEST

A Schanigarten in Vienna. Photo: By KF (Transfered by Fg68at) - Original uploaded on en.wikipedia, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11786262

A Schanigarten in Vienna. Photo: By KF (Transfered by Fg68at) - Original uploaded on en.wikipedia, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11786262

Despite Covid-19 rules in Vienna already being stricter than elsewhere in Austria, they will be tightened further on October 1st.

Mayor of Vienna Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) presented the new measures at a press conference in Vienna on Tuesday 21st September after consulting with a team of medical experts.

The restrictions include a 2-G rule for late night catering venues and gatherings of more than 500 people (indoor and outdoor), which means only vaccinated or recovered people will be allowed access.

For employees of late night venues, there will be a 2.5G rule – vaccinated, recovered or a negative PCR test.

READ MORE: Could you lose unemployment benefits in Austria for refusing Covid-19 vaccine?

Additionally, it will be mandatory for customers to wear an FFP2 mask in all shops, including non-essential retail. Employees can wear a cloth nose and mouth protection.

The new rules will initially be implemented for one month and will only apply to people aged 12 and over.

Antigen tests no longer valid for gastronomy

In gastronomy, a negative antigen test will no longer be valid proof of the 3-G’s (vaccinated, recovered, tested). People who are not vaccinated or recovered will only be able to gain entry with a negative PCR test.

Ludwig also spoke in favour of the 2.5-G rule in the general workplace, but said such a move would have to be mandated by the Federal Government.

He added that the purpose of the new measures was to encourage more people to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

At the press conference, Michael Binder, Medical Director of the Vienna Health Association, said nine out of ten intensive care patients were not vaccinated. The few vaccinated people with severe infections mostly had previous health conditions.

There are currently 214 people in hospital in Vienna with Covid-19 and some non-urgent surgeries are already being postponed in line with level five restrictions.

Ludwig added that hospital staff are reaching their limit.

READ ALSO: Will travellers vaccinated with AstraZeneca in Europe be able to enter the US?

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Are there 'young gangs' forming in Vienna?

Austrian tabloid media jumps on such stories: a group of teenage girls breaking into cars in Linz or vandalism and robberies committed by young people in Vienna. Particularly in the capital, it seems that there was a rise in crimes committed by groups of young people. But does that mean that Vienna has a gang problem?

According to the newspaper daily Der Standard, the Vienna Provincial Police Directorate (LPD) repeatedly states that the much-cited youth gangs do not exist but that there is “an increase in young people appearing in groups and committing offences”.

What does that mean, and what is the difference between “young people appearing in groups and committing offences” and gangs?

According to the police: “The term gang is commonly used in everyday language – without a precise definition in this context. In criminal law, however, the term is clearly defined. From a criminal law perspective, a gang is an organised, hierarchically structured group of people intent on committing offences on an ongoing basis.”

READ ALSO: Which crimes are on the rise in Austria?

According to the police, they are dealing with “groups that come together spontaneously” and are not “hierarchically organised.” These groups mostly commit “thefts or minor robberies” but are not criminal organisations.

So, technically, Vienna does not have a “youth gang” problem, but it does have an increase in young people in groups committing crimes – though the police didn’t share official numbers.

A recent Kurier report stated that the number of crimes committed by young people and children under the age of 14 has doubled in the last ten years.

At the same time, there has only been a slight increase among young people over the age of 14 and even a decrease among young adults. The main crimes committed by young people and adolescents are theft, damage to property, assault, burglary and dangerous threats.

Christian Holzhacker, Head of Education at the Association of Viennese Youth Centers, told Der Standard that it is important not to “stigmatise” an age group and that the word gang is often used in an “inflationary way”. He points out that in relation to the size of the Viennese population, the number of minors committing crimes is small, even if it is increasing.

He also highlighted that stigmatising regions or groups of young people who get together in public spaces is not the answer. “If you want to fight crime, you have to look at the realities of the lives of the people who have committed crimes,” he said.

READ ALSO: Is Vienna a safe city to visit?

What are the police doing about the crime?

Austria’s federal criminal police office has gathered a new special task force to combat youth crime (EJK). According to the Ministry of the Interior, the idea is to recognise the new phenomenon and combat youth gangs in Austria.

The task force is set to carry out checks in public spaces, particularly in urban areas and “potential hotspots”, Kurier reported.

The task force also set up a “panel of experts” to suggest how parents can be more responsible, how children’s use of social media and cell phones can be improved, and how the asylum system can better accommodate young migrants.

However, Dieter Csefan, head of the task force, told Die Presse that most young offenders were born in Austria.

“There are unaccompanied minors, but the young people we meet in the groups and gangs usually have parents. And the prolific offenders often come from a normal home. They can also be native Austrians. So it’s not always just Afghans or Syrians”, he said.

He also mentioned that “lowering the age of criminal responsibility is one suggestion” to fight crime. Currently, the age is set at 18, but there are discussions and proposals to lower it to twelve. However, “that alone is not necessarily enough”, he added.

READ NEXT: Which parts of Austria have the highest crime rates?

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