Category: General Interest

A fundraising appeal to finance the Covax global corona vaccination program has exceeded expectations. The online event with governments and foundations from around the world raised an additional $2.4 billion (just under two billion euros), the Gavi vaccination initiative announced Wednesday evening in Geneva. Gavi is co-leading COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. This involves coordinating the COVAX Facility, a global risk-sharing mechanism for pooled procurement and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. That means a total of $9.6 billion is now available to carry…

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Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) has issued the decree for the next relaxations in the Corona pandemic. These include, for example, extention of the opening of restaurants and bars from 10 p.m. to midnight, raising the occupancy rate for cultural institutions from 50 percent to 75 percent, and lifting the mask and distance requirement for gatherings of up to eight people. It will start on Thrusday next week, June 10, 2021. In the gastronomy sector, waiters must continue to wear masks outdoors, however. Indoors, a maximum of eight adults are…

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In the warmer summer months, fewer people go to donate blood. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, numerous operations have been postponed and are now being made up for. That is why the Red Cross is looking for blood donors. In Upper Austria, Vienna and Tyrol, blood donors receive a free SARS-CoV-2 antibody test as an incentive. At the blood donation center in Vienna, the campaign is valid until June 30, in Upper Austria the test is available until August 31, and Tyrol has already been offering it to all blood…

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Since May 31, 2021 the major U2 update started, preparing the existing U2 for operation of the new, fully automated U5 subway line. For this reason, the U2 will only run between Seestadt and Schottentor. Service between Schottentor and Karlsplatz will be discontinued. The reason is the extensive work for the construction of the U2/U5 line interchange. Announcements have been alerting passengers to the impending partial closure for some time now. In the future, the U5 will travel on the section that will soon no longer be in service, connecting…

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Driving the subway as a part-time job? That’s possible with Wiener Linien. As the public transport network continues to grow and the range of services is constantly being expanded, Wiener Linien is also looking for new colleagues in many areas during the pandemic. In the summer, there will again be places in the much sought-after subway training program for part-time employees. The additional employees are to support “regular” drivers, especially at peak times in the morning and evening and during major events. Part-time subway driver appeals to students“With the part-time…

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As announced, the manufacturer Biontech and Pfizer will deliver 2.5 million vaccine doses to Austria in June. However, there are fluctuations within the calendar weeks: Specifically, there is a reduction in deliveries in calendar week 23 and 24 of about twelve percent each, which amounts to about 60,000 fewer doses. In calendar week 25, the forecast is for 120,000 fewer cans, orf.at reported. That is not yet completely safe, as a speaker of health minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) communicated. Should not come already in week 25 nevertheless more doses than…

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Over the summer, children and adolescents aged twelve to fifteen are to be broadly vaccinated against the coronavirus, Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) said Wednesday. After the vaccine Comirnaty of BioNTech/Pfizer was approved in Austria also for minors, this is to offer to the pupils before beginning of the new school year starting from autumn a greatest possible protection. 340,000 children and adolescents fall into this group. Mückstein assumes that around 200,000 will take advantage of this offer. The goal is to have “as undisturbed attendance as possible in September”.…

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Within a few months, various biotechnology companies around the world have developed vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Typically, it can take 15 to 20 years for manufacturers to bring a vaccine to market approval. In the current case of vaccine development against thecoronavirus, it has been – and continues to be – faster. This is also due to the fact that experts have new technologies at their disposal and have been able to build on findings from other vaccine projects against related viruses. In an unprecedented effort, researchers around the world have…

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Having passed through a corona infection can protect those who have recovered from being re-infected. But for how long? A U.S. study raises hopes that immune protection after mild courses lasts significantly longer than previously assumed. However, there are already initial doubts about this. Anyone infected with Corona automatically develops antibodies that protect them against the virus once the disease has been overcome – at least for a certain time. How long this protection actually lasts is still uncertain. Experts fear that the body’s immune response will weaken relatively quickly.…

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