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Preventing a new lockdown the best possible way is currently the absolute priority – at the same time, one must react to the changed situation due to Omicron, Chancellor Karl Nehammer defended the new rules on Saturday. That the announced vaccination obligation at the beginning of February comes, stands for it “beyond question”. Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler also reiterated the plan.
Asked about the statement of the head of the all-state Covid Crisis Coordination (GECKO), Katharina Reich, “Durchseuchung will happen,” (spread of the infection throughout the population) Nehammer said in the Ö1-Mittagsjournal, the Omicron variant is much more infectious, so one has adapted the measures for example with the mask obligation outdoors. In the Netherlands, with an upright lockdown, the infection figures would also increase – to actually slow down the numbers, one would have to make a radical lockdown up to a shutdown. “That’s what we have to prevent,” Nehammer said, because it’s so burdensome.
Because of the high risk of contagion, critical infrastructure in particular is at risk, and that needs to be addressed, Nehammer said when asked why people with three vaccinations have de facto no restrictions, even though they can also pass on the virus. In addition, the course of the disease is different for Omicron, he said. In the area of schools, it is necessary to closely observe whether the re-sharpenings with increased testing are sufficient, said the chancellor, who used the military expression “living in the situation” for this purpose.
Nehammer, who is in quarantine because of an infection with the coronavirus detected on Friday and was therefore interviewed via Skype, said he was well himself and had no symptoms. He said he has been triple-vaccinated, which studies show is effective even with the omicron variant. He said he is “grateful” to science that the option of vaccination exists.
That compulsory vaccination is coming is “out of the question,” as is the deadline of early February, Nehammer added. There is a very clearly specified timetable, he said. Compulsory vaccination is necessary “to show that vaccination is indeed the way to go, that we don’t need freedom-restricting measures all the time,” Nehammer said. He answered the question of whether they might come later than February, even after ELGA GmbH’s recent concerns, with a resounding no.
Crucially, he said, the parliamentary clubs and Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein are working on a workable solution. “I am very confident that this will also succeed,” Nehammer said. Kogler argued similarly, “The legal framework will come, we are of course looking closely at the feedback. The second step is to adapt it with regulations to the pandemic development,” said Kogler.
ELGA: Technical implementation of mandatory vaccination only from April
On Friday, the statement of ELGA GmbH became known, according to which the technical implementation of the vaccination obligation via the national vaccination register is possible at the earliest from April. According to ELGA, however, the delay “could be used for a financial incentive system by means of vouchers for all persons with three partial vaccinations.”
Vaccination certificate and e-card
In this context, the distribution via ELGA e-medication could be carried out analogously to the antigen rapid tests via pharmacies. The funds collected as penalties should also be invested in the healthcare system in a targeted manner. One suggestion is that ten percent should be earmarked for the digitization of the healthcare system.
The Ministry of Health remained undeterred. The first comparison of vaccination data with the population register is planned in the draft law for March 15. If the comments received during the review process indicate that a change in the deadline is required for technical reasons, this will “of course be taken into account”. However, this would not change the entry into force of the vaccination obligation in February. Compliance with the vaccination obligation is to be widely monitored from this point onwards within the framework of official controls.
- source: ORF.at/agencies/picture: pixabay.com
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