Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) has urgently appealed to all citizens to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. This is because the infection figures would soon rise again in Austria as well, he said yesterday evening (local time) in New York.
“The virus will not disappear, it will stay. It will keep us busy for years to come,” Kurz said. He made it known at the same time that he received his second AstraZeneca vaccine dose a few days ago.
“For anyone who has been vaccinated, the pandemic is over. For everyone who is not vaccinated, the virus is a massive problem,” the chancellor warned while speaking to Austrian journalists.
An increase in the number of infections, as recently seen in southern Europe and the Netherlands, “will also happen here,” he said. Compared to the earlier waves, however, there is now vaccination as a “gamechanger,” Kurz said. Caution is still advised, however, even for those who have been vaccinated. As even Kurz said, he continues to get tested despite vaccination.
“Commitment to face-to-face teaching”
At the same time, Kurz said that there was “a clear commitment (commitment, note) to face-to-face teaching” from the government in the fall. ÖVP Education Minister Heinz Faßmann had already “worked out a good concept in this regard, which will be presented in detail in August”. The chancellor hinted that this concept could be based on tests.
At the same time, Kurz countered criticism that the opening steps go too far. “We have a stronger safety net than other countries,” he said, referring to the high intensity of testing and the “3-G rule.” In addition, he said, everyone has the possibility to go beyond the current regulations and protect themselves.
— source: orf.at/picture: pixabay.com
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