January 2021 Archives

Over 2300 new infections and 100 deaths in Austria

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 admin

The number of Covid 19 deaths in Austria is rising again. On Tuesday, the health and interior ministries reported 100 more deaths. This means 6457 people have already died from or with Covid-19 since the pandemic began. Also increased are the numbers of sick people who have to be treated in hospital. In the past 24 hours, more than 2300 new infections have been reported. For the first time in a week, 100 deaths have been reported in Austria, and the seven-day incidence of new infections has also been rising…

UPDATE: No free testing, lockdown until January 24

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 admin

The “Free/Voluntary Covid 19 test” project has failed because of a blockade by the opposition. Too many questions were unanswered at the end, the review period for the amendment was too short and the corona infection figures are still too high. In the Austrian Parliament, the law on free testing could have been passed with votes from the ÖVP and Greens, but the SPÖ, FPÖ and Neos have a slim majority and could have blocked the law for up to eight weeks. The government therefore abandoned its plan – and…

3rd wave rolls over Europe: 12,000 dead in Czech Republic

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 admin

Experts warned against gatherings on holidays. In many countries, the numbers of dead and infected are now rising. While vaccination promises hope for normality, numbers of newly infected are skyrocketing in numerous countries across Europe. Experts warned against gatherings over the Christmas holidays. Now the predictions have come true:40 percent of tests in the Czech Republic turned out positive in recent days. On Monday, authorities recorded 6220 new infections within 24 hours. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 12,070 infected people have died in the Czech Republic. That is almost…

New corona variant B117 detected in five people, three of them children

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 admin

Two weeks after the first alarm call from the British government, it is clear: the corona mutation B117 has reached Austria.The South African variant was detected in a 30-year-old Austrian woman who had returned from vacation in the African country on December 6. She was in home quarantine for 18 days with mild symptoms.The British variant has surfaced four times so far: in an adult Austrian who arrived on one of the last planes from London on December 21, and in three children between the ages of nine and 12.…

Germany reports nearly one thousand Corona deaths

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 admin

German health offices have reported 11,897 new Corona infections to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) within one day. In addition, 944 new deaths were recorded within 24 hours, the RKI announced Tuesday morning. Interpretation of the data remains difficult because of delays in detecting, recording and reporting Corona cases around Christmas and the New Year, according to the RKI. The peak of 1,129 new deaths had been reached on Wednesday (Dec. 30). In terms of new infections registered within 24 hours, the highest figure of 33,777 had been reported on…

Mussels contain microplastics

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 admin

Researchers have detected microplastics in commonly consumed shellfish. The small plastic particles were found in all the samples examined from different regions of the world. Mussels from the North Atlantic and the South Pacific are particularly contaminated. Vast amounts of plastic waste end up in the ocean. Mussels filter the water and thus also absorb tiny plastic particles. For their study in “Environmental Pollution,” researchers led by Martin Löder of the University of Bayreuth examined the pollution levels of the European blue mussel, the green mussel, the wavy carpet mussel…

England goes into next tough lockdown

January 4, 2021January 4, 2021 admin

Due to a significant increase in the number of CoV infections, the British government has again sharply tightened measures. “We have to impose a lockdown in England to get a grip on the new Corona variant,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a televised address tonight. “That means staying at home,” Johnson said. The house may now be left only for necessary activities such as doctor’s appointments and work, he said. Schools will have to close. Johnson said the measures would likely remain in effect until mid-February. Most recently, the…

1,642 new infections in Austria.

January 4, 2021January 4, 2021 admin

Daily news from the Ministry of Interior and Health indicates that 1,642 positive coronatests have been reported in the past 24 hours. To date, there have been 367,410 positive test results in Austria. As of today (January 4, 2021, 09:30), 6,357 people across Austria have died as a result of coronavirus (+33 compared to the previous day) and 340,273 have recovered. Currently, 2,321 people are in hospital care due to the coronavirus (+ 94 compared to the previous day) and of these, 368 of the ill are in intensive care…

First person vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine in the UK

January 4, 2021January 4, 2021 admin

In the UK, 82-year-old Brian Pinker has become the first person to be publicly vaccinated with AstraZeneca’s new vaccine. The vaccine, which the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company developed together with Oxford University, does not have as high an average efficacy as already approved Biontech preparations, according to preliminary data to date. On the other hand, it is significantly cheaper and easier to store. Initially, 530,000 doses of this vaccine are available, according to government figures. In total, the UK has ordered 100 million doses from AstraZeneca.So far, more than one million…