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COVID-19

UPDATE: Austria to further tighten Covid restrictions from Monday

Austria on Friday said only those vaccinated or cured from coronavirus would be allowed to frequent restaurants, hotels and cultural venues as the Alpine nation battles a surge in cases.

Published: 5 November 2021 21:21 CET
Updated: 5 November 2021 22:37 CET
A man gets a vaccine at the vaccination center installed at the Barbara Chapel of the famous St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.
A man gets a vaccine at the vaccination center installed at the Barbara Chapel of the famous St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna on August 11, 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: ALEX HALADA / AFP

The new rule takes effect on Monday with a four-week transition phase to incentivise people to get jabbed, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said.

“No one wants to split the society, but it is our responsibility to protect the people in our country,” he told a news conference.

The EU member of almost nine million people recorded more than 9,300 new daily cases Friday, a fresh record for this year.

See the details of the new rules in the article below:

Besides considering hospitals’ ICU units filling up faster than expected, tourism-dependent Austria also fears being backlisted by other countries because of the rapid virus spread.

Some 64 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, which is below the EU-wide average of some 67 percent.

Under the new rules, a negative Covid test will also no longer be sufficient for services with close contact such as at the hairdressers, and only those vaccinated and cured can attend gatherings of 25 people or more.

On Thursday, the capital Vienna announced a similar rule due to come into effect next week.

So far, more than 11,450 people infected with the new coronavirus have died in Austria.

ANALYSIS: Why are Covid cases in Austria rising and how worried should we be?

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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.

Published: 28 November 2023 09:46 CET
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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