Already last week, more than 60 percent of new infections in Austria were due to the more contagious delta variant of the corona virus. The more infectious mutation is slowly being reflected in case numbers, which have been rising for days. On Friday, the Interior and Health Ministries reported 163 new infections in the past 24 hours. That’s well above last week’s daily average of 103.
The seven-day incidence is also rising again and now stands at 8.1 cases per 100,000 population. A week ago, this was 6.2. Last Friday, there were also fewer than 100 new infections reported – there were 95 seven days ago. Today, Friday, there were also 61 more active cases than Thursday, for a total of 1,850 people actively infected. The Covid forecasting consortium expects Delta to reach 90 percent prevalence in Austria in July, similar to the UK.
So far, the more infectious variant has had no impact on hospitals. The forecasting consortium also considers a system-critical utilization of hospital capacity unlikely this summer. On Friday, 109 people across Austria – three fewer than on Thursday – had to be treated in hospitals. 43 people were cared for in intensive care units, one more than the previous day. A week ago, however, there had been more than 50.
To prevent a fourth wave – experts expect one to occur – a high vaccination coverage rate is needed. 91,018 vaccinations were given Thursday. A total of 4,979,265 have already received at least a partial vaccination, according to E-vaccine passport data: That’s 55.7 percent of the population. 3,595,383, or 40.2 percent of Austrians, are already fully immunized.
The highest initial immunization rate is in Burgenland, at 61 percent. In Lower Austria, 59.5 percent of the population has been vaccinated at least once, and in Tyrol, 56.2 percent. After Vorarlberg (55.7), Styria (55.6), Carinthia (53.4), Vienna (53.2) and Salzburg (52.5), Upper Austria brings up the rear with a vaccination coverage rate of 51.6 percent.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 651,291 people in Austria have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. 638,719 are considered recovered. Vienna had the most new infections on Friday with 67, Tyrol added 40, Lower Austria 20, Carinthia eleven and Salzburg ten. Styria reported seven new cases, Burgenland and Vorarlberg four each, and there was no new infection in Upper Austria.
Since Thursday, one more death has been reported; last week, 13 people died as a result of Covid-19 infection. Since the start of the pandemic, there have already been 10,722 deaths in Austria, meaning that 120 people per 100,000 population have died from or with Covid-19.
In the past 24 hours, 417,908 PCR and rapid antigen tests were reported across Austria. Of these, 62,922 were conclusive PCR tests, and the positive rate was 0.3 percent.
— source: kleinezeitung.at
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