Category: General Interest

The Ministry of Health has presented the amendment to the protective measures ordinance. With one exception, the entire regulation is to apply as early as March 15, once the National Parliament has given its blessing. The exception is that “re-sharpenings” in the professional area are to come into force from April 1 in order to ensure the necessary preparation time, it is said. The term “tightening up” refers to the fact that companies with 51 or more employees will need a mandatory Corona prevention concept from April 1. On the…

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Now that Denmark has become the first EU country to temporarily stop vaccinations with the active ingredient from AstraZeneca, the further handling of the vaccine is also an issue in Austria. Previously, one death and two cases of illness were reported in Austria in temporal proximity to AZ vaccination; a causal link has not yet been proven. In the afternoon, the state health councils are scheduled to exchange information with the ministry. Home authorities consult with state health councilsThe provincial health councils and experts from the Ministry of Health and…

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Prince William has spoken out for the first time about Meghan’s accusations of racism. He defends the British royal family. The heir to the British throne, Prince William (38), has vehemently denied the accusations made by his sister-in-law Duchess Meghan (39) in the revelation interview last weekend. “We are not a racist family,” he stressed emphatically on Thursday while visiting a London school when asked by reporters. He has not yet spoken with his brother Prince Harry (36) about the Sussex talk, but will do so, he assures. Duchess Meghan…

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More than 14,000 new infections were reported in Germany on Thursday. RKI President Lothar Wieler expressed “great concern” about the situation. A year after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic, the Robert Koch Institute believes the third wave of Corona has begun in Germany. “We have very clear signs of this: The third wave has already started in Germany,” RKI President Lothar Wieler said in an interview with the UN Association of Journalists (ACANU) in Geneva. “I am very concerned.” The strict use of protective measures, such as…

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The free Corona rapid tests handed out at pharmacies were completely sold out after only a few days. Supplies are already on the way. Since March 1, those interested have been able to get five free Corona self-tests from pharmacies – in theory, because the tests are out of stock . Supplies are already on the way. The only question is when it will arrive in Austria. “The first three million free rapid tests have been used up, and the second tranche of 4.5 million tests has not yet been…

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The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will decide today whether to approve the coronavirus vaccine from the U.S. company Johnson & Johnson. If the Amsterdam-based authority gives the green light, final approval by the EU Commission would be a mere formality, according to experience. It would be the fourth coronavirus vaccine to receive EU-wide approval, following vaccines from Biontech and Pfizer, Moderna and Astrazeneca. Against severe covid-19 disease, the vaccine has an efficacy of about 85 percent. One advantage of Johnson & Johnson’s vector virus vaccine is that only one dose…

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Corona mutant B.1.1.7, first discovered in the United Kingdom, is 64 percent more deadly than previous variants of the virus, according to a new study. In 4.1 out of every thousand cases, infection with B.1.1.7 leads to death, according to the study by researchers at Britain’s University of Exeter published Wednesday in the journal BMJ. For earlier coronavirus variants, the mortality rate is 2.5 per thousand cases. For their study, the researchers analyzed pairs of data from nearly 55,000 study participants each. The people had tested positive for the coronavirus…

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Public guest gardens are to be set up in Vienna. However, in view of rising infection figures, the city is still waiting to present its concept. Vienna will set up public pub gardens to offer serving places to restaurant owners without Schanigärten, as initially only outdoor consumption is likely to be allowed. However, one will wait now with the presentation of the concept, communicated a speaker of city councilor for economy Peter Hanke (SPÖ) to the Austria Presse Agentur on Monday. In view of rising coronavirus infection figures, the next…

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In Lower Austria, the quarantine for Corona-infected persons and contacts has been extended to 14 days. The duration of quarantine for Corona-infected persons and contacts will also be extended to 14 days in Lower Austria. More precise details on the implementation were not yet determined on Monday afternoon, according to information from the office of Health Regional Councillor Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig. The SPÖ politician told ORF NÖ that the possibility was envisaged “that if you get tested on the tenth day, you can also shorten the quarantine again”. — source: vienna.at/picture:…

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