Omicron XBB.1.5 variant is on the rise

The Omicron variant XBB.1.5 has spread in Austria within a few weeks. Hardly any other country records so many new Corona infections. Starting with the much-discussed mask obligation in Vienna’s public transport system on February 28, 2023, Austria’s last coronavirus measures are falling by summer. The Omicron variant XBB.1.5 now accounts for about 60 percent of Corona infections in Austria, as molecular biologist Ulrich Elling wrote on Twitter. This is an absolute first, as no recombinant line managed this before XBB.1.5. At first glance, this is not reflected in the…

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Weather collapse in Austria, it is now getting properly cold

At the beginning of the new week, a low-pressure system increasingly shifts from northern Italy towards Sardinia. Thus, in the Alpine region, the high-pressure influence from the British Isles strengthens, and the weather calms down again. Until midweek, there will be little change in this weather situation. Monday will be mostly cloudy, with clouds making way for sunshine in the northeast and later in the south. In the mountains, a few flakes will fall from time to time, but significant new snow is not expected anywhere. The wind will blow…

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5,800 infections on third anniversary of first Corona cases

On the third anniversary of the first confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases in Austria, AGES has reported exactly 5,800 more new infections with the coronavirus. In addition, 14 covid deaths were added on a daily basis. Thus, the pandemic has claimed a total of 21,872 lives since its outbreak. There were 1,417 infected people in hospitals as of the weekend, but due to widespread immune protection in the population, many are now no longer causally due to the virus. Related video: According to a report: Significantly more straight A’s among Corona (ProSieben).n…

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Austria back to normal after three Corona years

Three years after the first cases of the corona, Austria is back to normal, and the health ministry was preparing to return to regular operations, it said in a statement Friday. 5.9 million infections have been reported, 21,800 people have died, more than 20 million vaccinations have been administered, and about 90,000 Covid-19 drugs have been dispensed. A new epidemic law and pandemic plan should prepare for future health crises. The Corona pandemic would have been the largest challenge the domestic healthcare system ever faced. On February 25, 2020, the…

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Vaccination coverage rate down again, concern about fall grows

With Corona behind them, people in Austria are “forgetting” about flu vaccinations even more often than last time: The influenza vaccination coverage rate has dropped for the second time to a meagre 13.62 percent. The Vaccine Manufacturers Association (ÖVIH) worries about the next wave in the fall of 2023 and calls on the government to stop the negative trend. The vaccination coverage rate, calculated based on doses delivered or returned, refers to the total population and is more than three percentage points lower than the previous season and as much…

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Corona forecast shows continued increase in hospitals – 6,763 new Corona infections reported Wednesday

The Covid Forecast Consortium continues to project an increase in Corona-infected people in hospitals.Within the past seven days, the number had grown by 43 percent to 1,370 people. Despite the increase, the Covid outbreak is expected to remain below last year’s peak levels over the next two weeks, the Wednesday update said. In addition, it said only about one-fifth of hospital admissions of infected people are causal because of Covid-19. Normal wards across Austria are expected to see an increase from 1,304 Corona-positive individuals (as of yesterday, Tuesday) to a…

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Out for GIS (Gebühren Info Service) fee: What could the household levy look like?

The ORF is no longer to be financed by the GIS fee as of January 1, 2024, as the Constitutional Court ruled in July 2022. Instead, there is to be a household levy independent of whether or not a reception device is present. However, details on this are not yet known. However, looking at other countries shows what the new levy could look like in Austria. GIS or the Gebühren Info Service – a fee one should pay for the use of Radio and other broadcasting services in Austria. How…

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New 200 Euros energy bonus for Viennese households in April 2023

Back in 2022, the federal capital of Vienna paid out an energy bonus to Viennese households in an uncomplicated and quick way. Now, this is going into the second round. According to the city government, the Vienna Energy Bonus 2023 is intended to cushion the increased energy costs. And again, the payout is designed to be quite quick and unbureaucratic. 585,800 Viennese households have benefited from the Vienna Energy Bonus ’22 in recent months. Those of them whose income and circumstances have not changed in the meantime will automatically receive…

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“Absurdly high temperatures” – weather chaos in Austria

Today, Wednesday, will be dry throughout and mostly sunny. At first, widespread but harmless veil clouds will pass through, making the sunshine appear somewhat subdued, but as the day progresses, the clouds will gradually become denser from the west. The wind shifts from easterly to southerly directions and freshens moderately only in the Danube region occasionally. Otherwise, it no longer plays a role. With 8 to 16 degrees, it will still be very mild for the time of year. On Thursday, clouds will predominate, the sun will shine through from…

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