Category: General Interest

The outbreak of monkeypox in more than 50 countries, including Austria, is not being assessed as an “emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO). The U.N. agency in Geneva made the announcement Saturday evening after an emergency committee convened deliberations out of concern about the infections. However, the committee plans to reassess the situation quickly if there is a sharp increase in the number of infections or affected countries, if clustered cases occur among vulnerable groups, or if the virus changes. “I am deeply concerned about the…

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Vienna simplifies access to the fourth Corona vaccination. Effective immediately, all city residents twelve and older whose third vaccination was six months ago can get the booster. “These people we ask to go as soon as possible to refresh. For those who want to do it already after four months, we will make it possible in all municipal vaccination centers and will not deny anyone,” Mario Dujakovic, spokesman for City Health Councillor Peter Hacker (SPÖ), told APA. The current Covid vaccination schedule for mRNA vaccines stipulates that it takes three…

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In the coming days, heat but also thunderstorms are expected in Austria. This forecast also applies to the Vienna Danube Island Festival. Sun and thunderstorms at the Donau Inselfest Saturday starts dry and sunny in the south and east of AustriaIn the south and east, Saturday will start mainly dry and sunny. Otherwise, many clouds will remain, and there will be some showers, which will be locally heavy. With a few sunny clearings, thunderstorms may also occur in the east and later in the south and southeast. The afternoon will…

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More monkeypox infections have occurred in Austria. Twenty cases have been confirmed as of Friday, according to AGES. In addition, there is one probable cause. The most evidence of the disease, which has been reportable for several weeks, is in Vienna, with 14 so far. Two have already recovered, twelve men are still active cases in the federal capital and segregated by the authorities, and three are currently being treated in hospital, said to the office of Health Councillor Peter Hacker (SPÖ). More precise data are available for the federal…

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The Austrian government announced Thursday that mandatory vaccination is now history. What’s next for the green passport and the 4th prick? Compulsory vaccination in Austria is history: health minister Johannes Rauch and ÖVP club leader August Wöginger officially announced the end on Thursday. “Compulsory vaccination was introduced under different conditions than how we have it today. With Delta, we had a variant with 60 percent more hospitalizations. Austria was then in November on the verge of a lockdown,” said Health Minister Johannes Rauch, explaining a changed overall situation as the…

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The rising infection figures in the current Corona wave have led to the Corona Commission reclassifying Austria as yellow again. Thus, medium risk again applies to all of Austria. Burgenland, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, and Vienna are now also rated medium risk. The provinces of Carinthia, Upper Austria, and Styria remain green-yellow, so there is a low risk for them. Omicron variants BA.4/BA.5 are dominantIn this week’s assessment, the Corona Commission found an increased risk in most provinces. The more infectious omicron variants BA.4/BA.5 are already dominant. “Therefore, it…

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Tomorrow, the 24th of June – the Donauinselfest starts – and after two years in the pandemic mode, it will take place again in full size for the first time. However, because of the rising infection figures, visitors are asked to take a CoV test beforehand. “We ask everyone who wants to visit the Donauinselfest this year to take a PCR or rapid test in advance to protect themselves and others,” appealed the release of Donauinselfest project manager Matthias Friedrich. People with symptoms are also not allowed to enter the…

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Health Minister Johannes Rauch expects the current increase in new Corona infections to continue. One will now go “towards 10,000, 15,000 new infections per day”, but this was expected, he said Wednesday. However, he said the government would not impose any new measures this week but would continue to rely on “personal responsibility.” However, if there is a further increase, he said the reintroduction of mandatory masks is possible. Rauch expects the numbers to rise even further. The 10,000 or 15,000 new infections per day “will not be the peak,”…

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The Covid forecasting consortium predicts that rising Corona infection numbers will soon be felt in hospitals. According to the report, a threefold increase in Covid 19 patients in standard care settings can be expected in the next two weeks. In intensive care units (ICU), the experts’ current assessment anticipates twice as many Covid inpatients as admitted by early July. As for the infection numbers, they will continue to skyrocket in the coming days. Due to the increasing dominance of the omicron subvariants BA.4/BA.5, which are more infectious than BA.2, “accelerated…

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