Experts call for a de facto lockdown for Salzburg and Upper Austria «kleinezeitung.at
The traffic light commission quickly calls for further corona measures. The experts recommend compulsory vaccination for health professionals, further restrictions for unvaccinated people and de facto regional lockdowns in Upper Austria and Salzburg.
2.44 p.m., November 11, 2021
The traffic light commission urgently calls for further measures to contain the corona crisis. Because the current numbers represent a “threat to be taken seriously”, as it is called in a broadcast by the committee.
“Immediately necessary” are, for example, further restrictions for unvaccinated people. A lockdown is de facto recommended for Upper Austria and Salzburg. Mouth and nose protection is returning to schools in three countries.
Rapid action required
Since there is a high probability that a very high systemic risk will be reached at the hospitals, it stands the medical care of the Austrian population is dying from a serious threat.
It is therefore suggested Also to forbid unvaccinated persons from accessing unnecessary retail (including clothing, electronics, etc.) and museums. But it is believed that even these measures as well as one Compulsory vaccination in the health and care sectorThat is also advocated will not be enough.
Lockdowns for Upper Austria and Salzburg
The Commission is therefore proposing further steps in regions that are particularly affected, such as Upper Austria and Salzburg, which are tantamount to a lockdown.
Specifically required “generally applicable contact-reducing measures“, such as the restriction of high-risk and risk settings, such as meetings in the private and public sector, gastronomy and non-essential trade. If a trend reversal does not occur, these measures should be rolled out nationwide.
The problem is currently not only the development in the intensive care units, but also in the normal wards. The number of cases there is increasingly overburdening the affected facilities for the health system. The availability of qualified personnel is seen as a critical factor, especially in the current area.
Consequences in schools
The traffic light session already has immediate consequences for schools in Lower and Upper Austria as well as in Tyrol. So far, all countries have been at risk level two, which represents normal operation plus testing three times a week. That changes drastically with level three.
In addition to the mask arrangement, school events such as hiking days or ski courses are prohibited, and lessons with external partners such as associations are no longer allowed. Conferences and parenting days must take place in digital form.
Trend continues dramatically
Since the 14-day trend for new infections continues to point upwards everywhere, you consequently stay at the traffic lights of all federal states in the red area, which expresses a very high risk of infection.
Upper and Lower Austria, Salzburg and Vorarlberg threaten to climb above the critical 33 percent mark in intensive capacities in the next two weeks. The trend among people over 65 is still negative across the whole of Germany, and the number of infections in this age group is also rising sharply.
How dangerous the situation in the country now is is also illustrated by the risk figure that results from the factors relevant to the coloring. The orange area of the already high risk begins below 100 and the federal state with the current best value, the federal capital, is at 214. Tyrol, as the country with the worst, is at 1057. A week ago, the risk number there was 581.
More symptoms, less contact tracing
Only 23 percent of the cases in Austria are asymptomatic, which is probably consistent with the more violent course of the delta variant, but also with the rarest test level. In Tyrol, a latecomer country in this regard, only one percent of the cases that emerged were described as asymptomatic. Vienna tests by far the most and then also has a 47 percent share of asymptomatic cases.
Only 35 percent of cases nationwide are clarified, clearly the most in Vienna and Burgenland, the least, namely 20 and 27 percent, respectively, in Upper Austria and Tyrol. Upper Austria also has by far the highest crude as well as risk-adjusted seven-day incidence of deaths. Vöcklabruck was recently the district with the worst values of Waidhofen / Ybbs and Braunau. Hollabrunn, Bruck / Mur and Mödling are still in the best shape.