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The evening video meeting with the provincial governors, to which Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) had invited, began late on Friday evening. The main point of the evening was the presentation of Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens): He presented an additional stage four and five for the existing three-stage phased plan, namely in case the Corona situation worsens in winter. According to this, from a 25 percent occupancy rate of intensive care units (ICU) with covid patients – that would be 500 beds – the 2-G rule (Vaccinated/Recovered) applies everywhere where 2.5 G (Vaccinated/recovered/PCR test) was previously still prescribed in stage three – i.e. in the catering industry, hotels, etc. The 3 G rule at the workplace remains unaffected.
Staying at home
Stage five, according to Mückstein’s plan, then goes into effect when ICU occupancy reaches 30 percent – which would be 600 beds. This will bring a de facto lockdown for the unvaccinated: they will not be allowed to leave the private living area except for certain exceptions (going to the supermarket, pharmacy, doctor, work, contact with close caregivers).
What is new is that the levels now also apply earlier. Originally, it was planned that the stages would only become active one week after the occupancy figures had been reached. This now changes from level three (i.e. from 20 percent occupancy or 400 intensive care beds). The measures will start immediately when occupancy is reached.
Details, however, remained open for now on Friday: How would the lockdown be controlled for the unvaccinated? What would apply to children? There was no answer to that yet. Assurances were given only that there would be exceptions for people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
No compulsory vaccination
It also remains to be seen to what extent the additional future stages will have an effect on the vaccination rate – after all, Austria is currently only in stage one. Schallenberg nevertheless hopes that the possible tightening will have a motivating effect in the future, as he said at the press conference late this evening.
In the run-up to the meeting, the chancellor had indeed stoked speculation. On the fringes of the EU summit, he had announced that he wanted to take steps with the (vaccination) “hesitants and procrastinators” to increase the vaccination rate. And he added that “nothing is ruled out. Which immediately raised the question: Does this also apply to compulsory vaccination? No, it said on inquiry then from government side. It was still not an issue.
The federal states tended to be divided into two camps when it came to Corona measures: some – including Salzburg, Styria and Carinthia – were more in favor of nationwide tightening (à la Vienna) or were already planning such measures. Others, such as Vorarlberg or Burgenland, did not see any increased need for this.
- source: diepresse.at/picture:pixabay.com
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