Lockdown to be extended until Feb. 8

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Late night new information leaked via APA: First opening from February 8, FFP2 masks mandatory and 2 meters distance.

Official announcements from the Federal Government will be aired today, Sunday at 11.00 AM in almost all Austrian public and private TV News programs.

The lockdown, which was in effect until January 24, will be extended until February 7. This is the result of negotiations between the provincial governors and the federal government on Saturday evening, as APA learned from negotiators’ circles.

After that, it will be opened gradually, gastronomy, hotel industry and organizers, however, have to be patient until the end of February.

From February 8, the trade, body-related services and museums are to be allowed to open, but under stricter conditions. For example, FFP2 masks are to become mandatory, and the famous baby elephant will grow to a two-meter minimum distance.

Schools are also to be reopened from February 8, although in the provinces of Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Burgenland and Carinthia the semester vacations will begin at that time anyway. Upper Austria and Styria would have semester breaks starting February 15, here it is still being considered whether these should be brought forward to the second week of February in order to avoid opening schools for a week and then closing them again due to the vacations.

Situation will be reassessed in mid-February
Hoteliers and restaurateurs, as well as event organizers, will have to be patient until the end of February. However, it is planned to reassess the situation for these areas in mid-February.

The fact that the situation will not be eased so soon is due to the new virus mutations. The experts consulted by the government consider them much more dangerous because of the much greater infectivity – and pleaded for the continuation of the strict measures, also to gain more time for protection through vaccinations. Already confirmed cases in Styria and initial test results from a Viennese sample fueled the suspicion that the mutation is already spreading in the country.