It was a loud signal that the Austrian pop scene gave on Saturday for the war victims in Ukraine at the benefit concert in Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium. More than 40,000 fans of known Austrian pop singers attended the benefit concert. They consequently also listened to Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, who thanked them for their willingness to help. Van der Bellen: “This war must be stopped!” “Together we are sending a strong signal for peace, for democracy, a strong signal of solidarity with Ukraine, which was attacked by…
Read MoreMonth: March 2022
Parish councils are elected for five years
In Austria’s 3,000 Roman Catholic parishes, members of the parish councils are elected today. 4.3 million Catholics aged 16 and over are eligible to vote. The size and composition of the bodies that help shape and organize parish processes vary greatly. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference recently emphasized the importance of this body and called for participation in the election. At last count, around 45,000 people belonged to parish councils throughout Austria, 28,000 as elected members. The dioceses cannot come up with concrete results of the parish council elections on Sunday.…
Read MoreIn Germany, nationwide Corona protection rules are dropped
After several months, the first nationwide Corona protection rules are dropped in Germany. From this Sunday onwards, no 3G proof of being vaccinated, recovered, or tested will be required to travel by train with Deutsche Bahn, as the Infection Protection Act now stipulates. However, the obligation to wear a mask on local and long-distance public transport will continue to apply. The legal requirement for 3G access cards in the workplace has also been lifted. In the future, companies themselves will be able to assess the risk situation and define protective…
Read MoreAlmost 42,000 newly infected and 43 dead in Austria
The number of new infections with the coronavirus remains high, with the health and interior ministries reporting 41,999 new illnesses on Saturday. Forty-three patients died of or with covid 19 disease. The seven-day incidence was 3,487.2 per 100,000 population. More than 3,000 people with covid-19 were still in the hospital. Forty-one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine new infections meant the second-highest figure recorded on this day of the week since the pandemic began, following the record high last Saturday. The average for the past seven days was 44,735 cases per day.…
Read MoreCan expired foods shorten our lifespan?
Maybe you should pay more attention to the expiry date of your food in the future after all. A Harvard University study shows that eating food past its expiration date could lead to an earlier death. The study results were published in the journal “Science Advances.“ Harvard professor Vadim Gladyshev investigated the causes of aging. He found that molecular damage to human cells is partly responsible. Moreover, this damage could be caused by eating old food. “This damage is produced by almost every cellular process. So over time, we have…
Read More19,600 positive corona tests in schools this week
There were more positive PCR tests in Austria’s schools this week than in the previous week. A total of around 19,600 infections were registered during the screenings. In the previous week, there were just under 19,000 registered coronavirus infections. Across Austria, nine schools (last week: eight) are completely closed and an additional 1,198 classes (previous week: 856) are entirely or partially obstructed. 6,582 positive corona tests at Viennese schools In Vienna, 6,582 pupils (previous week: 5,266) were registered with infections, whereby a different test system, “Alles gurgelt,“ is used here…
Read MoreMandatory wearing of masks indoors to be reintroduced
After a GECKO meeting on Friday, Health Minister Johannes Rauch commented on the new measures. Mandatory wearing of masks indoors to be reintroduced At the moment, masks are only compulsory in vital areas throughout Austria. That means in supermarkets, public transport”, pharmacies, and banks. Vienna is taking”a stricter approach, making masks mandatory in all indoor areas, i.e., in shops “or concerts. The federal government is also tightening the r”ins again. At 6 p.m., Health Minister Johannes Rauch announced at a press conference that, among other things, mandatory masks would be…
Read MoreOral COVID Therapy to be available in Austria next week
Novavax and Valeva are the latest two vaccines against Covid-19. Apart from vaccines, research is also being done on medicines, and there have been successes in this area. From the middle of next week, the treatment of Covid 19 patients in Austria could become more accessible. Then, with the active ingredient combination nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid), the first oral therapy on prescription should become more widely available in Austria. Experts explained this on Wednesday evening at an online doctors’ training session organized by the Austrian Society for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine…
Read MoreUPDATE: 9,000 refugees registered in Austria so far
The increasing daily numbers of Ukrainian refugees pose significant challenges for the domestic authorities. Above all, a traffic jam has formed in the registration process, as figures from the Ministry of the Interior show. Since the beginning of the war, 164,000 people have entered Austria from Ukraine. More than 80 percent traveled, so about 30,000 will stay; 9,000 have been registered. Registration is necessary in order to later obtain a displaced person’s identity card and thus have access to the labor market. Registration is not necessary for medical care, food…
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