Category: Austrian News

Fraud involving fake police officers has risen sharply in Austria in recent years. As the Christmas holidays, in particular, are used for such acts, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner warned at a press conference in Vienna on Tuesday that if a police officer stands in front of your door and demands money or valuables, they are “100 percent fake”, and you should contact the police immediately.In 2022 and 2023, the authorities registered 1,572 attempts across Austria by fake police officers to take money or valuables from their victims. The perpetrators succeeded…

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A total of 52,338 people insured with the ÖGK health insurance fund were off sick with COVID-19 in the previous week (week 50). This is just over 25 percent more than the 41,690 cases in the previous week—a new high. In addition to the coronavirus sickness figures, the number of people registered as unfit for work with flu-like infections at ÖGK rose from 90,405 to 102,274 in the previous week. According to this data, there were 888 cases of “real” flu, i.e., influenza (week 49: 568). In total, more than…

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According to the WWF, Austria alone produces around one million tons of food waste annually—over 100 kilogrammes per person. The NGO expects even more food waste at Christmas. The WWF warns of food waste and its consequences before the Christmas holidays. “During the Advent and Christmas seasons and around the turn of the year, we place a particularly heavy burden on the environment and climate. Careful handling of valuable food can significantly contribute to sustainable holidays,” said Dominik Heizmann, WWF expert for sustainable nutrition, in a press release published on…

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The police consider December 24 the day with the highest number of burglaries in Austria yearly. The Federal Criminal Police Office, therefore, warns people to be vigilant around the holidays and “use common sense.” “We have around 15 percent more burglaries at dusk on this day than on normal December days,” says Hans-Peter Seidl, from the Burglary Unit at the Federal Criminal Police Office. There are around 25 burglaries at dusk every dayAccording to Seidl, there are currently around 25 daily break-ins throughout Austria. Each season (November, December, January), the…

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For weeks, Austria has been in the middle of a coronavirus wave that has never been seen before on this scale. Around 40,000 sick days due to the virus were reported to the Austrian Health Insurance Fund last week. Hospital admissions have increased by over 30 percent within a week, and the viral load curve in wastewater has reached a level never seen before. The creeping wave was triggered by the XBB lines. In the meantime, however, another variant has taken over and is likely to dominate the incidence of…

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When it comes to predicting the Christmas weather, meteorologists have rarely been so divided as this year: anything is possible. Only in the ski resorts is a white Christmas very likely; in the lowlands and in almost all provincial capitals, snow at Christmas is rather unlikely. After four days of sun and spring, it will begin to rain in the western ski resorts on Wednesday. Rain is also forecast for Thursday, from Kitzbühel to Schladming. There will be significant differences in weather and temperature for the Christmas holidays between the…

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From short-term parking zones in Vienna to travelling abroad, road users will face a number of changes in 2024. There will also be changes for commuters in the new year. An overview of what will apply in 2024: Expansion of short-term parking zones in the Vienna areaOn January 1, 2024, the existing short-term parking zone in Vösendorf will be extended. In Leopoldsdorf bei Wien, a new short-term parking zone will be introduced across the entire municipal area in March 2024. Other surrounding municipalities are also considering introducing or extending the…

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Next year, the national CO2 price will rise, making refuelling and heating with fossil fuels more expensive. However, the price increases will likely be moderate and largely offset by the climate bonus. In the public debate, the CO2 price is often viewed without the rebate, said Wifo environmental economist Claudia Kettner in an interview with APA. “This makes the burden appear greater than it is.” According to the ÖAMTC, consumers can expect to pay 3.7 cents more per liter of diesel and 3.4 cents more per liter of petrol, including…

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According to the forecast by Geosphere Austria, the weather in Austria will remain mild for this time of year. Especially in the east of the country, it will be very warm at the beginning of the coming week due to high air pressure and temperatures of up to twelve degrees. Today, Friday, there will continue to be frequent cloud accumulation on the northern side of the Alps, accompanied by repeated rain or snow. The snow line will be between 400 and 1,000 meters. Away from the congested areas, there will…

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