Summary: Lockdown from Dec. 26, – free COVID 19 test possible from Jan. 18, 2021

The government on Friday went into reverse gear in the face of persistently high new infections and announced a new lockdown after Christmas. Christmas can still take place “as planned,” but measures will be tightened again from Dec. 26, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said. Commerce and body-related services will be closed until January 18, and restaurants and hotels will also remain closed. All-day curfew restrictions will again apply – including on New Year’s Eve. Neither public nor private fireworks are to be approved.The lockdown will last even longer – until 24…

Read More

Third Lockdown in Austria confirmed

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday confirmed the third hard lockdown for Austria starting Dec. 27. The period after Christmas is to usher in a “return to normality” in three phases. In the first phase, the numbers are to be decreased by tightened measures, phase 2 is to keep Corona cases down by mass testing, and in the third phase, vaccination is finally to bring the hoped-for relief. Regulations for December 24 and 25 remain in place, but there is now an all-day curfew on New Year’s Eve. “We have decided…

Read More

Covid 19 vaccination: safe and suitable for allergic people

According to current knowledge, the Covid-19 vaccination is also safe for allergy sufferers. This was emphasized by AG Allergologie and the Austrian Society of Dermatology and Venereology (ÖGDV). mRNA vaccines – such as those from Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna – transmit the blueprint for a viral antigen to the body, which is then produced in cells and causes immunization. “The side effects that have become known in the approval studies are frequent, expectable, mild as well as limited in time,” says Wolfram Hötzenecker, chairman of the AG Allergologie; the population needs…

Read More

COVID SITUATION IN EUROPE

Italy to become red zone from Dec. 24, media sayThe Italian government is planning further CoV restrictions for the Christmas holidays. For example, the whole of Italy is to be declared a red zone on holidays and weekends from December 24 to January 6. This will mean that stores and restaurants will remain closed and freedom of travel will be severely restricted. The Council of Ministers will adopt a decree to this effect this evening, Italian media reported. On the other days, Italy will be classified as an orange zone…

Read More

Coronavirus: 2,085 new infections and more than 145 deaths.

In addition, 145 people with the coronavirus died from Thursday to Friday – bringing the total to more than 5,000. In view of the constantly too high key figures around the pandemic in Austria, another lockdown is probably inevitable. Whether this is due to a lack of discipline on the part of the population or rather to a lack of comprehensibility on the part of the government’s line in the fight against the pandemic is a matter of considerable debate. The fact is that the numbers are too high. From…

Read More

Christmas makes trash: separating more important than ever

Vienna is at the bottom of the league when it comes to waste separation. At Christmas, a time when a lot of waste is generated, this has a particularly strong effect on the amount of residual waste. Around Christmas, 20 percent more waste is generated than in the rest of the year. The Association of Austrian Waste Management Companies (VOEB) drew attention to this on Sunday. Gaby Jüly, president of the VOEB, appealed for more waste separation: “Our goal: less residual waste, more separate collection. Who wants to reduce waste,…

Read More

Countdown: Where to test yourself before Christmas

Shortly before the holidays, many people want to quickly check if they are COVID 19 positive or not.. Where this is still possible at the last minute and what you should consider when testing. An overview: In Vienna, there is probably the largest free test offer. Shortly before Christmas, the city drew up a test strategy for the holidays. The three test roads – at Happel Stadium, at the Austria Center and on the Danube Island – will also be operated over the holidays. Each test street will have a…

Read More

Moderna’s vaccine close to US approval

The coronavirus vaccine of the US biotech company Moderna is about to receive emergency approval in the USA. The vaccine cleared the decisive hurdle yesterday: The independent vaccine advisory committee of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) came out in favor of approval. The FDA is expected to approve the vaccine shortly on the basis of this recommendation. This would make it the second Covid 19 vaccine available in the United States. A week ago, the vaccine from Mainz-based biotech firm Biontech and its U.S. partner Pfizer had already…

Read More

Government and state leaders consult on high Corona numbers

The government will consult with the federal states on Friday afternoon about the further course of action in the Corona pandemic. Actually, the next easing steps would be due at Christmas – especially the opening of ski lifts. But in view of the persistently high new infections and the many deaths, voices have recently increased calling for further interventions over the holidays. Whether that will happen, however, was unclear in the run-up to the video conference. The decline in new infections has slowed noticeably recently: on average, 2,700 cases have…

Read More