New Corona rules: “There will be a fourth wave, a fifth, and a sixth”

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Federal and state governments are tightening the measures. A phased plan will apply, based on ICU utilization.

There is to be no more lockdown for vaccinated citizens. This has already announced Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Monday evening in the ORF summer talk. Instead, there will be tough measures only for the unvaccinated – to protect them and the health system from being overburdened. For example, there will be a FFP2 mask obligation for unvaccinated in the trade.

After a meeting with the state governors, the federal government today, Wednesday, presented the whole “toolbox”, that is, all the measures that are planned.

In short, “Our desire is freedom for all; restrictions for some if no other way.”

Essentially, a phased plan will apply, based on intensive care unit (ICU) utilization. As early as Wednesday, September 15, the mask requirement will be extended again.

From September 15 (10 percent bed occupancy will have been reached).

Antigen tests only valid for 24 hours
FFP2 mask obligatory where currently mouth-nose protection must be worn (places of daily use e.g. supermarket, public transport)
Recommendation FFP2 masks for all also in the trade, for unvaccinated this becomes obligatory (random controls by police)
3G at events with 25 persons or more (until now, the 3G rule only applied to events with 100 persons or more)

From 15 percent ICU bed occupancy (300 beds)

In night catering (and similar settings), at events without assigned seating with more than 500 people: Admission only for vaccinated and convalescent (2G). One is considered recovered six months after infection, after which gensene should also be vaccinated.
Antigen tests with self-collection (living room tests) no longer valid as proof of 3G.

Above 20 percent ICU bed occupancy (400 beds).

Only vaccinated, recovered or PCR-tested patients are now considered 3G
Measures go into effect seven days after each limit is exceeded. Federal states can tighten beyond that on their own authority.

Epidemiologist criticizes government’s phased plan as “fighting symptoms”
According to Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP), the model is Denmark. There, there are no longer any Corona restrictions because 86 percent of the population has already been vaccinated. This shows that vaccination works and that the more people are vaccinated, the easier it is to push back the virus, he said. The answer to rising infection rates, therefore, must be vaccination, not lockdown, Kurz said. That allows for keeping open for the masses, while there are restrictions for the few, he said.