Category: General Interest

A survived Corona infection does not protect against infection with the new Omicron variant, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).“We think that previous infection does not protect against Omicron,” infectiologist Anne von Gottberg of South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said Thursday at a press conference hosted by the WHO Africa Regional Office. The question continues to be researched, the scientist said. However, initial observations suggest that people who have already been infected by Omicron could contract Covid-19 again. In that case, however, the symptoms are apparently…

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A decision on the end of the lockdown for vaccinated and recovered persons as of December 12 will be made by the Ministry of Health only next week.The forecasting consortium will provide an assessment of the coming days, it said. At present, infection incidence is declining, it said. How strong this development is pronounced and whether it is a sustainable trend reversal, however, will only be seen in the coming days, lets the Ministry of Health know. The development is being monitored and the next steps will be communicated next…

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At least eleven EU countries have reported the presence of the coronavirus variant Omicron so far.As the EU health agency ECDC wrote in an Omicron update, there were 59 recorded infected people by midday Wednesday. The Stockholm-based agency listed 16 cases in the Netherlands, 14 in Portugal and nine in Germany, Italy, Denmark (4 each), Sweden, Austria (3 each), Belgium, Spain (2 each) and the Czech Republic (1). In addition, there was one case on the island of Réunion, which belongs to France. It remained unclear whether the ECDC reports…

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Biontech CEO Ugur Şahin expects the existing vaccine to provide protection against severe disease even with the new Omicron virus mutation. “We think it is likely that vaccinated people will have significant protection against severe disease caused by Omicron,” Biontech CEO Ugur Şahin told Reuters news agency on Tuesday. He expects that this protection will be even more pronounced once people have received their third vaccination. Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel had earlier warned to the Financial Times that existing vaccines against omicron are less effective. “There is no reason…

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News on the WHO response to Omicron: Its chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has underlined that WHO is taking the new variant of the coronavirus “extremely serious.” He was addressing ministers and diplomats from the 194 member countries attending a special WHO meeting on a possible global pandemic treaty. WHO subsequently shared its findings on Omicron to date in camera. Reason for lack of end to Corona pandemicAs long as the world allows the pandemic to drag on, developments such as the emergence of a new viral variant are not surprising,…

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On Monday, there were the first three confirmed cases of the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of coronavirus in Austria. No more were added on Tuesday. An overview to the provinces. In Tyrol, three people have contracted the mutation. In Upper Austria there are two, in Salzburg and Vorarlberg one suspected case each. There, the authorities are waiting for the sequencing of the AGES. In all other federal states, Omicron has not yet been detected. First Omicron case in the province of TyrolThe first case in Tyrol concerns a person who tested…

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Biontech CEO Ugur Sahin expects the existing Covid-19 vaccine from the Mainz-based manufacturer and its partner Pfizer to provide protection against severe infections even with the new Omicron variant. “We think it is likely that vaccinated people will have significant protection against severe disease caused by Omicron,” Sahin told Reuters news agency today. “We expect this protection to be even more pronounced once people have had their third vaccination.” The variant, first detected in South Africa and now appearing in numerous other countries, has raised alarm around the world. WHO…

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The social partners have agreed to open on Sunday on December 19. Due to the lockdown, stationary trade this year falls by three shopping Saturdays in Advent and the traditionally strong Immaculate Conception holiday. The open Sunday before Christmas is intended to make up for at least some of the sales. Employees who volunteer for this day earn double and get an extra day off. The condition is that the pandemic situation permits opening. The regulation also does not apply to supermarkets and drugstores, which are also currently allowed to…

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December 1 is a significant date with regard to the vignette: the adhesive vignette and the Digital Vignette 2022 (taking into account compliance with the consumer protection period) are valid from that day, according to an ASFINAG release. Digital VignetteThe adhesive vignette (in apricot) has already been available since November 18 in thousands of sales outlets in Austria and abroad, while the digital vignette is available in the ASFINAG toll store at www.asfinag.at and via the “Unterwegs” app. Validity period of vignetteThe validity period of the annual vignette is a…

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