Fourth wave: Upper Austria and Salzburg tighten rules
“The situation is dramatic, so we are triggering the fifth stage of the federal government’s step-by-step plan and are planning a lockdown for unvaccinated people from Monday, provided there is a legal green light from the federal government or the federal government creates the legal basis,” said Upper Austria’s governor Thomas on Thursday Stelzer (ÖVP), who had rejected a lockdown the day before at a crisis summit with Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) – as did his official colleague from Salzburg, Governor Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP).
On Friday there will be another video conference between the governors and Mückstein. After this date, details such as the legal implementation should be announced, it was said from Mückstein’s office. For a lockdown only for unvaccinated persons, a constitutionally valid ordinance is required. Deputy Governor Manfred Haimbuchner (FPÖ) also said that the ordinances must be “constitutional” – more on this in oo.ORF.at.
Unvaccinated lockdown in Upper Austria
In Upper Austria, a lockdown for unvaccinated people is due to come into force on Monday. Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) ruled that out on Wednesday.
No events in the next few weeks
The trade association was also critical of the feasibility of a lockdown for unvaccinated people. “We take note of the lockdown for unvaccinated people in Upper Austria, but we also say very clearly that there can be no entry controls in the shops,” said Rainer Will, managing director of the trade association, according to a broadcast.
The hotel industry, on the other hand, reacts more positively. “It is good and right that the lockdown comes into effect quickly and that the number of infections falls as quickly as possible,” said the Vice President of the Austrian Hotel Association, Sophie Schick. The decision for the regional lockdown had been recommended in advance by doctors.
In addition, in Upper Austria the FFP2 mask requirement is to be extended to all areas of public life for everyone – for example again for the staff in retail and for all guests and employees in the catering trade. There should be no more events in the next three or four weeks. One wants to save the Christmas markets somehow – there one should be able to buy and watch, but not consume drinks or food, according to the plan.
Chancellor: Christmas “uncomfortable” for unvaccinated people
In the morning, Chancellor Schallenberg said that winter and Christmas would be “uncomfortable” for people who have not been vaccinated. A lockdown for the unvaccinated is, as it looks, “probably inevitable”. Together with Vorarlberg’s governor Markus Wallner (ÖVP), he again promoted vaccination. He also rejected a lockdown for vaccinated people: “I don’t see that two thirds of their freedom are being lost because one third is hesitating,” said Schallenberg.
Primary Knotzer on the CoV situation
Johann Knotzer, Head of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at the Wels Clinic, speaks in the ZIb interview about the current CoV situation.
The situation in the intensive care units is very serious, said primary in the Wels Clinic, Johann Knotzer, on Thursday evening in the ZIB2. “We have not yet reached the zenith,” said Knotzer, IF THE numbers continue to rise, there will be an increase in intensive care patients in the coming days. Due to the coronavirus wave, there are fewer and fewer intensive care capacities available for non-coronavirus patients. It must therefore be prioritized who receives which medical care. “The proportion of unvaccinated people in my ward is more than two thirds,” Knotzer pointed out, “this pandami wave is a wave of the unvaccinated.”
Salzburg relies on mask requirements and 2-G
In the evening in Salzburg, the measures were tightened, but not a lockdown like in the neighboring state. It was alleged that 16 percent of the intensive care beds in Salzburg were currently occupied, level 5 with a covering of 30 percent would not have been reached. Therefore, the conditions for a lockdown for unvaccinated people in Salzburg are not given, it said.
Specifically, the wearing of FFP2 masks in the event area as well as in body-hugging services and trade fairs will be expanded, according to the broadcast. The 2-G rule is to be extended to other areas. As of Monday, it is no longer possible to consume standing in restaurants. At occasional markets – such as the Christmas market – the consumption of food and drinks is prohibited. No alcohol may be served or consumed at or at snack bars. Haslauer announced that “the police will keep a close eye on compliance with the measures” – more on this in salzburg.ORF.at.
2-G in Vienna also at punch and snack stands
Vienna now regulates visits to punch, sausage and kebab intervals more closely. There, 2-G will apply from Friday as in gastronomy. Anyone who will consume food stalls in the federal capital in the future must either be vaccinated or have recovered. This WILL be implemented with an accompanying regulation that will come into force from midnight, as Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) announced on Thursday – more on this in wien.ORF.at.
Traffic light commission demands action
In a previously unknown way, the traffic light commission described the drama of the situation on Thursday. Since there is a high probability that a very high systemic risk will be reached in the hospitals, the medical care of the population is facing a serious threat. The Commission is therefore proposing further steps in regions that are particularly hard hit, such as Upper Austria and Salzburg, which are tantamount to a lockdown.
“In principle, a lockdown is a measure that can take effect very quickly. However, we do not yet have any experience of what a lockdown only affects part of the population. We have to hope that the lockdown for unvaccinated people is strong enough to slow down the development as quickly as possible, ”said the statistician Erich Neuwirth, who is currently advising the City of Vienna on coronavirus measures. But one should have answered much earlier that the development of the infection numbers had been clear since mid-October – more on this in wien.ORF.at.
The meeting of the traffic light commission has already had 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 and 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.