Category: Austrian News

A new scam is circulating: Offenders leave fake parking tickets on parked vehicles, regardless of whether they are properly parked. These are marked with the letterhead of the Vienna Provincial Police Directorate and the police logo. The victims are asked to pay a fee because the “police” claim that an offence was committed due to improper parking. By scanning the QR code on the fake parking ticket, the victims are taken to a payment page where they have to enter their bank details. The mass phenomenon is a scam.The police…

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Vienna is increasing the salaries of hospital nurses in two areas where there are shortages, namely trauma surgery and neurosurgery. This was announced by City Councillor for Health Peter Hacker (SPÖ) on Wednesday on the ORF program “Wien heute”. According to the city, there is a shortage of nursing staff in both specialities. In response to an APA enquiry, he added that there is now the possibility of overpayment in order to incentivize nursing staff to switch to these areas. Qualified nursing staff receive almost 680 euros more per monthQualified…

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The new vignettes for 2024 will become effective on December 1, 2023. However, there is a trap you could fall into in addition to innovations. On December 1, 2023, the new vignette year begins; this also marks the start of validity for the new adhesive vignette in sunny yellow and the digital vignette in 2024. In addition to the colour of the vignette, there are a few new additions this year. “The 1-day vignette is new for the first time. Like the 10-day vignette, it is now valid immediately after…

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In view of the rising incidence of coronavirus and influenza, Health Minister Johannes Rauch on Wednesday advised people to wear masks again in places where many elderly or sick people come together – for example in hospitals, nursing homes or doctors’ surgeries. This also applies when people are crowded together, for example in crowded pubs. There is no specific mask requirement. This is because hospitals are not overloaded. In the middle of corona waves“We are in the middle of a coronavirus wave. The national wastewater monitoring clearly shows this,” said…

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Drivers should prepare for wintry road conditions and adapt their driving accordingly. Skiing enthusiasts, on the other hand, should be delighted at the prospect of fresh powder snow, which will create ideal conditions for winter sports activities. The forecast for Friday already brings us the cold snap: the Eastern Alps will be under the influence of an Italian low and its band of clouds on Friday. Overall, dense clouds will predominate in all parts of the country. There will also be widespread and persistent rain or snow, although most of…

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At 1.1 billion euros, people donated more than ever before to good causes in the previous year—200 million euros more than expected, despite the highest inflation in 50 years. This is according to the 2023 Donation Report by the Fundraising Association of Austria, which was published on Tuesday. The driving force behind this record generosity was the immense willingness to donate aid to Ukraine. “The extent of the willingness to help the millions of people affected by the war in Ukraine has exceeded all expectations. 150 to 200 million euros…

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Almost 30,000 people in Austria were on sick leave with a coronavirus infection last week, and the trend is rising, warns the ÖGK. Wastewater monitoring now also shows a clear picture: since the outbreak of the pandemic, the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater has never been as high as it is now. Now that quarantine, reporting obligations, and free tests have been abolished, the most reliable means of measuring the viral load in the country is wastewater monitoring, i.e., the systematic recording of coronavirus concentrations in wastewater. And this speaks…

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From January 1, everyone will pay an ORF household fee! Those who previously paid GIS will receive a lower rate; those who do not own a television will continue to pay. The changeover from the previous broadcasting fees to the cheaper ORF contribution, which is payable for all primary residences from January 1, 2024, is in full swing. GIS provides comprehensive information about the relevant changes: For all those who already have a subscriber number with GIS, there is no need to take any action. Your data, including your payment…

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More than 110,000 Austrians were off sick with colds in the previous week, over 29,000 of them with COVID-19. More than 400 people were affected by influenza (“real flu”), and over 84,000 people were unable to work due to flu-like infections, according to figures from ÖGK policyholders. This is in addition to sick leave with other health insurance companies. “The number of sick days is rising again,” explained ÖGK chief physician Andreas Krauter on Monday. “Masks are a safe protection to avoid infection and further spread. People with risk factors…

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