Hard lockdown in Vienna ends today

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The hard lockdown in Vienna and Lower Austria cends today. Even though retailers and hairdressers are allowed to open up again, restrictions still apply.

For more than four weeks, Vienna and Lower Austria remained in a hard lockdown. Today, the two provinces are bringing their Corona rules back into line with the rest of the country. For the time being, they are valid up to and including May 5. After that, they will probably be extended until all of Austria is supposed to unlock on May 19.

Viennese retailers are now allowed to stay open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. again. A negative test for entry is not necessary, but FFP2 masks are mandatory and a safety distance of two meters applies. One customer is allowed in per 20 square meters of space.

For service providers close to the body, such as hairdressers or nail salons, one customer is allowed per ten square meters of space. In addition to the mask and distance requirement, a negative Corona test is again required for the visit. As before, antigen tests are valid for 48 hours, PCR tests for 72 hours.

With the end of the lockdown, the round-the-clock exit restriction also falls. As in the rest of Austria, this now applies only from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.; the known exceptions (shopping, recreation, work) remain.

The “1+1 rule” also partially expired. The rule: four adults and six underage children from a maximum of two households are allowed to meet during the day. Only one “outside” visitor per household will continue to be allowed during the “night rest” period.

While the FFP2 mask requirement remains in public enclosed spaces – such as the public transport system – it is time to breathe a sigh of relief outdoors. The end of the lockdown also means the end of the FFP2 requirement in five public places (Stephans-, Karls-, Schweden- and Maria-Theresien-Platz and the Danube Canal).

The museums, art halls and libraries are now also opening their doors again – albeit with a limited number of visitors and mandatory FFP2 masks.

Hotels and restaurants have to hope for May 19. Until then, pickup (from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and delivery (within normal operating hours) are permitted.