“This pandemic will continue to accompany us. We have to come from a crisis organization in a line organization,” said Haslauer. The officer, who has been head of the operations department of the Air Force Command since 2017 and most recently in the cabinet of Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP), is to set up the corresponding organizational structure. Schinnerl will be the central point of contact for COVID management in the country, both internally and externally. It is supposed to create a daily updated picture of the situation for Salzburg and thus provide the politicians with a basis for decision-making.

State of Salzburg will prepare for Omikron

The background to the reorganization is, among other things, the new virus variant Omikron. You have to expect that there can be staff absences in systemically relevant professions, said Haslauer one of the many challenges. Therefore, he will use the current resting phase after the lockdown to get good advice.

“We have to have plans that are tailored to what our opponent, the virus, is doing,” said Schinnerl at his introduction: “We have to have plan B, C or D in the drawer. That is the basic competence of us soldiers.” It is now necessary to position oneself in the best possible way in order to be able to adjust something to the omicron variant and the next variants that are still to come.

2-G controls now also in stores

Haslauer also announced a mandatory inspection of the 2-G regulation in retail from the beginning of January. “2-G must be proven at the cash desk, otherwise you cannot go shopping,” said the governor. Areas such as the grocery trade or pharmacies are excluded. It has not yet been decided whether the control will apply from January 3rd or 10th. The aim of all measures is to secure the health system, maintain the critical infrastructure and – if at all possible – prevent a lockdown.

Fewer patients on normal Covid wards

As far as the hospital sector in Salzburg is concerned, there is a pleasing decrease in the number of patients in the normal wards. In the intensive care sector, however, the situation remains very tense, reported primary doctor Uta Hoppe from the Salzburg state clinics. The patients in the intensive care units are on average 56 years old. “There are also significantly younger patients who are seriously ill and whose lives depend on the next heart-lung machine. Of these, 40 percent will most likely not experience the year,” says Hoppe.

Omikron will infect so many people. “The virus is clever, it has put on a different cloak of invisibility,” said the doctor. “Omikron is already there, is taking over the dominance, and let’s try to buy time. It is important to wear a mask, keep your distance and hygiene. But vaccination is very important, only this really protects. “

LIVETICKER for reading

(Source: SALZBURG24 / APA)