First of all for a while: Austria is back in lockdown
On the weekend before the new lockdown, the Austrians were drawn to the streets again. So reports the ORF from busy city centers and shopping centers. The trade made 15 percent more than on a November Saturday before the pandemic – and faces difficult times in view of the closure of shops from Monday.
But it’s not just the rush of shopping that keeps the streets full in Austria. Around 40,000 people demonstrated against the new measures in Vienna. Right-wing extremists, demonstrators from Germany and all kinds of trivializations of National Socialism were also involved. The police spoke of a heated mood. Hardly anyone wore the masks that were actually prescribed. In addition, there were bizarre warnings by messenger that employees of the City of Vienna could lean under manhole covers to vaccinate the protesters in the calves.
In addition to the lockdown, the reason for the protest is the compulsory vaccination, which will apply in Austria from February. At just under 65 percent, Austria has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe (Germany 67, Bavaria 66). The country’s 7-day incidence was just over 1,000 on Sunday (Germany: 340, Bavaria: 637).
Hard lockdown in Austria
From Monday, another hard lockdown should break the wave of infections. So there must be cultural establishments across the country, as well as the retail trade with the exception of supermarkets and pharmacies. Schools and daycare centers remain open. The measures should initially apply for 20 days and be evaluated after ten days.
For those who have not been vaccinated, however, strict rules still apply even after the 20 days have elapsed. This so-called “lockdown for unvaccinated people” came into force in Austria a week ago. Those who are not vaccinated are only allowed to leave their home to go shopping for daily needs, to come to work or to see a doctor. It is also possible to go out for physical and psychological recovery and to “satisfy basic religious needs”.
Politicians apologize
Actually, large parts of Austrian politics – similar to Germany – had already imagined themselves in the final phase of the pandemic. So the then Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) at the beginning of September: “There will certainly be no more lockdowns for vaccinated people.” This is exactly what his successor Alexander Schallenberg had to announce after all, not least because the heads of government of the federal states urged it.
Schallenberg and other top politicians in Austria are humble at the weekend. The Chancellor said the “crown” for example: “I am the last one to claim that the crisis management functioned perfectly or that I myself worked flawlessly for the population who showed disagreement with one another.”
Stricter entry rules
However, the high corona numbers and the resulting stricter rules in Austria do not only affect people in Austria. They can also be felt in Germany, especially Bavaria. Mainly because the entry rules have also been refined.
If you want to travel to Austria unvaccinated, you now have to show a current PCR test. Only cross-border commuters can get ahead with a quick test. From Monday, however, it must be a maximum of 24 instead of a maximum of 48 hours. may be. PCR tests are now valid for commuters for 72 hours instead of a week. The rules apply to all immigrants aged 12 and over.
The rules for vaccination certificates are also changing in Austria. As a gold-plated man, only 270 days after the second vaccination with Biontech / Moderna / AstraZeneca instead of the previous 360 days. In the case of the simply vaccinated Johnson & Johnson, the 270-day period starts on the 22nd day after the vaccination. The recovery status is gold in Austria 180 days after recovery. There are also rules on the German side for entry from Austria. With a few exceptions, the country is gold-plated as a high incidence area, when and unvaccinated people are quarantined for ten days after entering from Austria and can only be freed after five days at the earliest.
Ski vacation in danger?
For people who have not been vaccinated, private trips to Austria, such as skiing, are unlikely to be possible this winter anyway. Even if, after the planned end of the lockdown, the gondolas and restaurants should reopen on December 12th, 2G rules apply there, which the unvaccinated are not allowed to enter.
After all: in the opinion of experts, both the lockdown and the designation as a high incidence area should in most cases be sufficient for vacationers to get their money back for a planned trip to Austria – especially when it comes to package tours.