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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On June 30, the pandemic ends in Austria: Corona will then be regarded as a normal disease
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…
Read MoreNew 150-euro bonus for parents of school children fixed in Upper Austria
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…
Read MoreGovernment plans the end of all Corona measures in Austria on 30 June 2023! At the end of April, mask obligation falls
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,…
Read MoreA lot of fresh snow is expected until the middle of next week
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…
Read MoreStarting today, highway toll sticker in Austria will take effect. What does it cost to drive without this?
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…
Read MoreAlmost eleven percent more deaths in Austria than before Corona
According to preliminary figures, 91,765 people died in Austria in 2022. “This is 10.7 percent more than the average of the last five years before the outbreak of the pandemic and also more than would have been expected due to the aging of the population,” Statistics Austria Director General Tobias Thomas reported Thursday. Life expectancy is down from 2016 to 2019 for women at 83.7 and men at 79, but it is rising in the long-term trend. The statistics for the previous year will still be somewhat higher, as deaths…
Read MoreDo not forget: From February 1, the new “Autobahn vignette” is valid
On January 31, the current vignette year ends. This means: From February 1, only Vignette 2023 in purple or Digital Vignette 2023 are valid. For all those who still have to click or pick, it is therefore high time to get the vignette. “67 percent of all annual vignettes are already digital. The trend towards digital continues unabated. So if you don’t have a current vignette yet, you can get one at the toll store or via the ASFINAG app. Or get a vignette in time at one of our…
Read MoreNursing staff to receive a 2,460 euro salary supplement this year
Good news for nurses! Nursing staff will receive a bonus of 2,460 euros in 2023, significantly more than the approximately 2,000 euros paid out (increased by 500 euros only in Lower Austria) last year. To ensure the best possible care and support, the working conditions of the nursing staff urgently need to be improved, emphasized Social Minister Johannes Rauch. With an amendment introduced on Wednesday, the monthly payment will be fixed uniformly throughout Austria. The motion on the Entgelterhöhungs-Zweckzuschussgesetz (EEZG), introduced in the Social Affairs Committee, provides uniform conditions for…
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