Lockdown in Easter Austria is extended until 18 April 2021

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Instead of April 11, the lockdown for the eastern states will now last until April 18. Accordingly, retail, personal service providers and, for example, museums and zoos will remain closed until April 18. Schools will remain in Distance Learning. Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland agreed on a corresponding procedure at a summit in the Chancellor’s Office.

Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler announced the details in a joint press conference with Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig, Governor Hermann Schützenhöfer and Oswald Wagner, Vice Rector for Clinical Affairs at the Medical University of Vienna, starting at 4 pm.

Regionalization as a “model for success”
The seven-day incidence in Austria is 237, and intensive care units currently treat 578 covid patients. An “overload of intensive care units” must be prevented, Kurz said. Regionally, the numbers here vary widely, Kurz said, comparing Vienna with the western states. “We still have high infection rates in six of the nine federal states, but a relatively stable situation in the intensive care units.” In the other three federal states – Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland – the situation remains tense, he said.

“We have therefore agreed today to continue the current measures.” In consultation with the federal government, the eastern states will extend the lockdown until April 18, Kurz said.

He said the current trend was expected because of the early openings, but, “More than 60 percent of our intensive care patients are 65 and older.” Once those 65 and older are vaccinated through, we can expect a significant reduction in the burden on critical care, Kurz said: “All states can manage to vaccinate through those 65 and older by the end of the month, then we can expect an effect.”

“Reduce infection figures sustainably”
Vienna Mayor said that the extension of the protective measures is necessary until “at least April 18.” The mayor thanked Lower Austria and Burgenland for the joint approach. It is important to “sustainably reduce the infection figures”, only then can one even think about openings in the eastern region. This also means that if the numbers do not fall, the regional lockdown will probably be extended beyond April 18.