Category: General Interest

As of today, mandatory vaccination against the coronavirus is in effect in Austria for all persons residing in Austria over the age of 18. Until mid-March, no penalties will be imposed. Law certified by VdBIn Austria, the Corona vaccination obligation has been in force since February 5. It applies to all persons resident in Austria from the age of 18, exceptions are provided for pregnant women and those who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons, and – conditionally – also for convalescents. The regulation with the exact details of this…

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People who have survived an infection with the Omicron variant within the last three months will no longer have to be quarantined after contact with an infected person. This was stated by the Ministry of Health in a new version of the contact person regulation. This is likely to have an impact on kindergartens and elementary schools, for example. The regulation has already been communicated to the provincial sanitary directorates and is to be applied soon, it was said to APA. Omicron variant automatically assumed in case of infectionAdditional proof…

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Novavax vaccine can also be used for booster vaccination.In a few weeks, the first doses of Novavax’s protein-based vaccine will be delivered to Austria. But how effective is the corona vaccine really and can it be used to boost? Why Novavax is not a dead vaccineAccording to the U.S. pharmaceutical company Novavax, the new vaccine protects well against the coronavirus. The data are based on studies involving about 30,000 people. According to the results, efficacy is about 90 percent. The extent to which Novavax is effective against the Omicron variant…

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Yesterday, the Ministry of Health presented the regulation that moves the closing time back. This means that as of today pubs may stay open until midnight. Furthermore, the number of participants for meetings will be increased. More participants are also possible in youth work and vacation camps. For larger events, testing is no longer mandatory. Specifically, the amendment to the Covid 19 Measures Ordinance stipulates that 50 instead of 25 young people can now come together again in extracurricular youth work or go on a trip to shared vacation accommodation.…

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The shortening of the generation time, as well as the incubation time, is likely to play a weighty role in the rapid spread of omicron. Generation time is the period of time during which a person becomes infected, the virus spreads in the body, and subsequently, other people can be infected. In the case of the delta variant of the coronavirus, this period was around five days; in the case of Omicron, it is around 2.5 days. This would therefore mean that if you are infected with Omicron, you become…

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The EU Commission is extending the Green Passport by one year until June 30, 2023. The pandemic is far from over: the use of the digital EU Covid certificates, also known as “green passports,” is to be extended by one year, according to the EU Commission. As the Brussels-based authority proposed on Thursday, the legal basis for the proof of fresh Corona tests, vaccinations or recoveries should be valid until June 30, 2023. EU countries would still have to agree to the proposal. EU Commission extends green passport until mid-2023The…

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Austria has ordered a total of 57 million doses of coronavirus vaccine since the start of the pandemic through early December 2021. During this period, 23.9 million doses were delivered by Pfizer/Biontech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, and the four companies invoiced the Republic for 246 million euros by the end of October last year, according to an answer to a question by Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens). “As of 05.01.2022, a total of 283,140 doses (vector vaccines), which were in the power of disposal of the federal government,…

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Today, February 4, 2022, the semester vacations will start in Vienna, Lower Austria, and parts of the Czech Republic. ÖAMTC experts predict that there will be no major traffic jams this year. On the major freeways and expressways (A1, A2, A10, S16), the convoys will be rolling. However, an accident or a defective vehicle can quickly lead to delays. On the main connections in Tyrol, for example on the Inntal Autobahn (A12) between Kirchbichl and Kufstein or on the Fernpass route (Nassereith-Füssen, B179), there will be occasional delays due to…

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Despite persistently high infection figures, measures will be relaxed in the school sector starting next week. ÖVP Education Minister Martin Polaschek announced on Wednesday after the Council of Ministers that as of February 14, the mask requirement at the seat in elementary schools will be dropped. Already from Monday, February 7, there will no longer be a mask requirement in classes for all age groups. Furthermore, gymnastics should be held outside and at a distance, if possible. Further prohibited in gymnastics are those exercises in which students are in direct…

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