Category: Austrian News

Wiener Linien is using the semester break and weekends for important modernizations. This involves renewing around 1,000 meters of streetcar tracks in Vienna. Since 2014, Vienna’s oldest subway line, the U4, has been undergoing extensive refurbishment. So far, signal boxes have already been replaced, tracks and track beds renewed, and stations and tunnel ceilings refurbished. Wiener Linien is taking advantage of the Vienna semester vacations to renew several 43-year-old points along the line, including wooden sleepers. For this reason, the U4 will not be able to run between Karlsplatz and…

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The government has presented the roadmap for the end of the Corona measures. Vienna lines’ roadmap still includes strict mask checks. In the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, the way back to “normality” was determined: As of April 30, the FFP2 mask obligation in hospitals, nursing homes and other vulnerable areas will end. The so-called “Freedom Day” is to be celebrated on June 30. This is because all special provisions for Corona will expire on that day: Sars-CoV-2 will no longer be a reportable disease. In Vienna, great uncertainty still…

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In Vienna and Lower Austria, the first season of the semester break begins today, Friday, for about 450,000 students. Before the start of the week-long vacation, the semester report, the so-called Schulnachricht, is still being distributed. Due to vacation travel, traffic problems are expected on Vienna’s arterial roads from Friday afternoon. By Saturday at the latest, there will likely be delays in western Austria because of the continuing snowfall. On February 10, the remaining federal states will followThe first shift change will occur on February 10, when children and young…

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Health Minister Johannes Rauch states that medication and vaccination should be available free of charge. Tests are also to remain free for symptomatic people. In a background interview Tuesday, Rauch and senior Health Ministry officials said patients with symptoms would go to the doctor as usual, get tested, and get appropriate medication in case of Corona infection. How the vaccination campaigns will be rolled out is unclear because everyone has different immune situations (a mix of vaccinations and infections). Therefore, corona vaccinations cannot simply be appended to seasonal flu vaccinations.…

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The mask requirement in vulnerable areas such as hospitals and nursing homes will end on April 30, 2023.All measures (mandatory masking, free testing, vaccination centers, etc.) will end throughout Austria on June 30, 2023.In Vienna, the mask requirement in pharmacies and public transport will remain in place until the end of February. Tests and vaccinations should continue to be available in ordinations and other health facilities. That is to be negotiated in the coming weeks, he said.Health Minister Johannes Rauch and Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler heralded the end of the…

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The cost of school supplies is becoming a challenge for many parents in times of inflation. A 150-euro bonus is designed to help. The cost of children’s education is rising. Many parents don’t know what to do because of extremely expensive energy, high rent prices, and high credit installments. While the federal government has already launched a variety of subsidies and bonus payments, there is also a package of measures from the state of Upper Austria. For example, the subsidies for heating and energy costs for low-income households have been…

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The federal government plans to end all Corona crisis measures by the end of June. Vaccinations, tests and medications are to be integrated into the regular structures of the Austrian healthcare system by then. Corona will then also no longer be a notifiable disease. This was decided by the Council of Ministers today. The end of compulsory mask use in hospitals, retirement and nursing homes is already planned for the end of April. The high level of immunity in the population and the availability of COVID-19 drugs allow this step,…

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Meteorologists warned on Wednesday of coming partly large amounts of fresh snow. “In the next few days, moist air will flow into Austria from the northwest, accumulating on the northern side of the Alps and bringing heavy snowfall here at times,” Christian Pehsl of Geosphere Austria (formerly ZAMG) explained in a statement. Therefore, there could be problems on roads, railroad lines and in the power supply, for example, if trees fall under the snow load. “Especially in the area from Vorarlberg to northern Tyrol, Salzburg and Upper Austria to the…

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From today, February 1, 2023, the new Vignette must be attached to cars, motorcycles and light motor vehicles for the highway. The tariff for the annual Vignette is €96.40 (for cars) or €38.20 (for motorcycles). 10-day and 2-month vignettes are also available. Those who forgot to buy the digital Vignette until today and still want to take advantage of its benefits (no problems with broken windshields, for example), drive to the nearest ARBÖ test center or ÖAMTC offices and can obtain the digital Vignette there, which is valid immediately because…

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