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COVID-19 STATS

Covid-19 in Austria: Follow the latest developments as they happen

Catch up on the latest Covid-19 news and current statistics in The Local's roundup as they happen throughout the week.

Published: 24 January 2022 09:23 CET
Updated: 28 January 2022 15:34 CET
Woman in face mask
As new variants raise concerns, Austria is keeping its mask mandate. (Photo by ALEX HALADA / AFP)

Overview of the Covid-19 situation in Austria

As of January 28th the 7-day incidence rate (new infections per 100,000 people) was 2,381. Tyrol (3,130) has the highest incidence, followed by Vienna (2,841), while Burgenland (1,958) and Lower Austria (1,908) have the lowest rates.

A total of 338,262 people in Austria are currently positive for Covid-19 as of January 28th, with 1,220 people being treated for the disease in hospital outside ICUs, according to AGES. An additional 176 Covid patients are currently in intensive care.

A total of 6,742,953 people (75.5 percent of the total population) have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, according to the Health Ministry, and 6,467,136 (72.4 percent) have a valid vaccine pass as of January 27th.

Friday, January 28th

According to new statistics, excess mortality in Austria was at nine percent in 2021. The state with the lowest excess mortality was Burgenland, at just under five percent.

And the Ministry of Health has said that the planned shortening of vaccine pass validity (as of February 1st, two vaccine doses are currently set to be considered as proof of full vaccination for six months, down from the current nine) may be adjusted. Further details are expected on Friday afternoon.

Thursday, January 27th

More than 300,000 people are currently infected with Covid-19 in Austria as the number of daily new infections passed 40,000 today, but for the moment the number of Covid patients in ICUs is still below 200.

According to the Health Ministry, a total of 2,600 classes (of a total of 58,000 nationwide) and nine whole schools are currently online-only due to Covid-19. In Vienna, around one in ten municipal kindergartens is currently closed.

The national crisis committee (GECKO) will meet tomorrow afternoon, but public broadcaster ORF reports that no easing of Covid measures is expected to be recommended yet, until Austria has passed the peak of the Omicron wave in an estimated two or three weeks. There are currently no press conferences scheduled after the meeting.

Wednesday, January 26th

Austria’s lockdown for unvaccinated people will end on January 31st, the government confirmed today.

From February the law will change to make third doses of the Covid vaccine permissible from three months after the second dose, though the National Vaccine Committee recommends getting the third dose four to six months after the second.

Austria reported over 30,000 new Covid infections in 24 hours for the first time today (34,011), and in the next week the number of daily new cases is forecast to reach 37,000.

The Styria region is updating its contact tracing and quarantine strategy. This means people who test positive can end their quarantine from the fifth day using an at-home PCR test, if they have been totally symptom-free for at least 48 hours. At the same time, infected people will be asked to contact people they recently had contact with themselves, rather than through contact tracing.

Tuesday, January 25th

Austria’s incidence rate has today passed 2,000, reaching 2,036 nationwide.

Police seized several fake vaccine passes in raids in the town of Schladming, Styria.

Monday, January 24th

Austria’s travel rules change today, with the virus variant list being removed so that the 2G+ rule (full vaccination or recovery, plus either a booster dose or negative PCR test) now applies to travellers from all countries.

Upper Austria has paused contact tracing due to the fast rate of spread of Covid-19, meaning local health authorities say the chance of breaking infection chains is low. People who test positive are instead asked to get in touch with people they have been in close contact with. According to a review by Der Standard, Vienna, Lower Austria and Vorarlberg are still carrying out contact tracing as before, but Austria’s other five regions have also cut down the amount they can do and are prioritising to focus on vulnerable parts of society.

How does Austria compare to its neighbours?

The chart below from Our World in Data shows how the number of reported daily Covid cases in Austria compares to those in neighbouring countries.

Note that case numbers depend on rates of testing as well as the prevalence of the virus, so this is not necessarily a true comparison of the spread of the virus in each country.

Do you have a question about Covid-19 in Austria? Contact our editorial team at [email protected] and they will get back to you and do their best to help.

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COVID-19 STATS

UPDATED: Will Austria bring back face mask mandate to battle rising Covid cases?

As the number of Covid-19 infections and related hospitalisations rises in Austria, many are asking for new measures to be adopted, especially a mask mandate.

Published: 6 October 2022 11:45 CEST
Updated: 11 October 2022 09:14 CEST
UPDATED: Will Austria bring back face mask mandate to battle rising Covid cases?

Austria has seen an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations in recent weeks, with 2,428 people currently hospitalised with the disease, including 118 in intensive care (ICU).

One month ago, just 871 people were being treated in hospital with an additional 47 people in ICU.

The Austrian Federal Government has now said they will make a decision on bringing back the mask mandate by October 23rd. Last week, the National Covid Crisis Coordination (GECKO) recommended wearing FFP2 masks.

According to ORF, the mask mandate could return for public indoor spaces, public transport and in the gastronomy sector. The Austrian Trade Association has already rejected the suggestion saying it would be the “last straw” for employees as the industry struggles with staff shortages.

What are the Covid-19 experts predicting for the autumn and winter season?

The latest report from the Covid prognosis consortium in Austria predicts a rise in hospitalisations in October. 

In a “worst case” scenario, as many as 3,428 people who tested positive would need a hospital bed on October 19th, the latest forecast said. A “further significant increase in hospitalisation is to be expected, with the Covid population in the ICU area remaining almost unchanged”, the experts summarised.

READ ALSO: Reader question: When should I get a fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in Austria?

In comparison, last autumn, the country was on an Austria-wide lockdown and on November 28th, there were 2,767 infected persons hospitalised.

However, the experts said there is a very high proportion of incidental findings among hospitalised patients. Only around 22 percent of those presently hospitalised were admitted with Covid-19 symptoms. In the intensive care unit, this proportion was only 12 percent – most people go to the hospital for other reasons and find they test positive for the coronavirus.

Calls for pandemic-containment measures

Still, the consortium warned about staff shortages in hospitals. “The increased infection pressure is currently also translating into above-average unplanned staff absences”, it wrote.

READ ALSO: From inflation to Covid: What to expect from Austria’s winter season

In view of the situation in the hospitals, experts are calling for the reintroduction of mandatory masks.

Virologist Dorothee von Laer from the Medical University of Innsbruck criticised the government, saying authorities were once again “too late” to take measures.

“We are now at the last push to reintroduce compulsory masks indoors so that the omicron wave from spring is not repeated,” the virologist told Kurier.

“How much longer to watch Covid go through the roof? Winter is still long, and hospitals are getting crowded with decreasing staff and increasing occupancy. Mask up! #CovidIsntOver,” Thomas Czypionka, Head of IHS Health Economics and Health Policy of the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS), said on Twitter.

Currently, people in Austria only need to wear masks in the health sector area, such as in hospitals and elderly care homes. However, the capital Vienna has stricter rules, imposing a mask mandate on public transport.

Only in a ‘state of emergency’

Speaking to public broadcaster ORF, Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) ruled out the immediate introduction of a mask mandate.

He said stricter rules would only be imposed if the situation in hospitals “escalates, becomes threatening, and a state of emergency occurs”.

READ ALSO: LATEST: The Covid rules across Austria

At the same time, he reiterated that the pandemic is not over and that when the government removed the mask mandate, it also announced the rules could be brought back in autumn.

“When the mask requirement was abolished in grocery stores and public transport in the spring, I already said: If it should become necessary again in the autumn, the general mask requirement will be reintroduced there”, he said.

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