Month: May 2022

98 years ago: How Mother’s Day came to Austria

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The day dates back to an initiative by Marianne Hainisch. She called for the establishment of Realgymnasien for girls as early as 1870. Today, Sunday is the day again this year: Mother’s Day. On the initiative of Marianne Hainisch, the day was celebrated in 1924 for the first time in Austria. Her son Michael was the first Federal President of the Republic from 1920. Most people are probably familiar with the mother of Mother’s Day in this country as the founder of the domestic women’s movement. As early as 1870,…

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This is why we find the left side of our face more beautiful

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Do you think the left side of your face is more beautiful than the right? There is a conclusive explanation for this. Have you ever thought that your face looks completely different when viewed from one side than the other? We now know that beauty does not depend on perfect symmetry and that people with entirely equilateral facial features would even look rather strange. Still, there seem to be a great many people who would name the left side of their face, of all things, as their chocolate side: On…

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Covid Crisis Coordination Office (GECKO) keeps a close eye on omicron variants

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The Corona situation has eased in Austria. However, there are the new Omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5, which have already started a new wave rolling in South Africa. These are now being closely monitored. Four scenarios for the fallThe first cases have already been detected in Austria as well. The nationwide Covid Crisis Coordination Office (GECKO) is closely monitoring developments. The new report states that it will soon be possible to make further assessments. The absolute priority at the moment is to prepare for autumn. Omicron variants are closely monitored…

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Mask obligation in the trade and public transport remains for the time being

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The mask obligation for vital trade remains for the time being. Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) has rejected the demand of trade unions to waive the Corona protection in business and banks. The regulation with the measures for protecting vulnerable persons, which also apply to hospitals and nursing homes, public transport, and public authorities, will remain in force until July 8. Rauch argued Friday on “ZiB2” that two new Corona variants – BA.4 and BA.5 – had recently been detected for the first time in Austria. This was “a delicate…

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Mask requirement in supermarkets to remain until July 8

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Austrian Health Minister Johannes Rauch does not envisage an early relaxation of the mask requirement. Thus, it remains in place in supermarkets and in “vital trade” until at least July 8. Domestic retailers are again calling for an end to mandatory masks in supermarkets and drugstores. Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) had most recently announced that the FFP2 mask obligation for employees in the “vital trade” would be maintained until July 8. This is “disproportionate, discriminatory and epidemiologically is not justifiable,” said Handelsverband Managing Director Rainer Will‘s statement on Thursday.…

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Four scenarios: Here’s how the government plans to brace for the Corona situation in autumn

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The Austrian federal government wants to be better prepared for the coming, now third pandemic autumn. On Friday, Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) and experts presented a so-called Variant Management Plan (VMP). Involving 80 experts, it contains four possible scenarios for the further development of the coronavirus. Rauch announced that the final VMP should be available at the beginning of June. “We need to prepare seriously for different scenarios in the fall,” Rauch said. “We simply don’t know which variant we will be dealing with in the fall,” the responsible…

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Food costs will now be even more expensive

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According to the Food Industry Trade Association, national origin labeling will continue to fuel food inflation. “We are experiencing the strongest wave of inflation in 40 years. Food costs are going through the roof. Right now is the worst possible time for new mandates, which are driving up costs even further for domestic producers. This is further fueling food inflation. Who is taking political responsibility for this?” criticizes Katharina Koßdorff, Managing Director of the Food Industry Association, on the occasion of the appraisal of two regulations for a purely national…

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The new omicron subvariants continue to spread

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So far, 36 cases of BA.4 and one point of BA.5 have been reported in Austria. In South Africa, the subvariants are even causing a new wave. One of the reasons for this is likely to be a change in the spike protein, which has not previously been found in Omicron. “We already know the L452 mutation from Delta, which means that antibodies can no longer bind to the virus. This could explain the high immune escape property of BA.4 and BA.5,” says molecular biologist Andreas Bergthaler in an interview…

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6,000 new infections in Austria

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From Thursday to Friday, 6,001 new infections were registered in Austria. This is slightly above the average of 5,345 infections over the past seven days. The 7-day incidence is currently 420.35. Currently, 70,369 people are actively infected. In the past 24 hours, 274,676 PCR tests have been performed. This results in a positive rate of 2.18 percent. In addition, six new deaths have been reported. Thus, the pandemic has claimed 18,228 lives so far. Currently, 1,038 people are being treated in the hospital, by 39 less than on Thursday. Seventy-six…

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