Category: General Interest

A new Corona variant has been registered in Africa, according to the pan-African health agency Africa CDC. It was discovered in travelers from Tanzania in Angola, the head of Africa CDC, John Nkengasong, announced at a press conference on Thursday. He said the new variant has up to 40 mutations. “This is certainly a variant of concern,” he said. “Unfortunately, we don’t know how this variant will respond to vaccines,” Nkengasong explained. There is now a surveillance system in Tanzania’s neighboring countries, while the mutant is being studied in South…

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For a week now, all Viennese have been able to obtain free PCR tests as part of the “Alles gurgelt” initiative. “It has all worked very well,” City Hall drew a first balance on Thursday. “Alles gurgelt” initiative free for all ViennesePreviously, participation was only possible for selected businesses and organizations. Since Friday, around 830,000 test kits have been issued and 132,500 samples (22,100 per day) have been evaluated. A further 30,000 samples were handed in yesterday (Wednesday) and are currently being evaluated. “The stock level in branches is constantly…

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On Easter weekend, the spring weather comes to an end: already on Friday it cools down noticeably, Easter Sunday brings only maximum temperatures of four to 13 degrees. For Monday, the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) forecasts temporarily more sun and up to 19 degrees. But already on Tuesday the next turnaround follows with wintry temperatures up to a maximum of five degrees in the whole country and snow down to 500 meters and lower. From Good Friday it will be coolerWith a northwesterly high-altitude current, it will…

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In the dispute over the distribution of ten million vaccine doses brought forward by Biontech and Pfizer, the EU states did not find a unified line on Thursday: Because only 24 members participate in the solidarity compensation for the states that have fallen behind. Bulgaria, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia and Slovakia would receive in the second quarter together 2.85 million cans more than they are normally entitled to, announced the Portuguese EU Presidency on Thursday evening. Nineteen other EU countries participated in the solidarity action. Austria, Slovenia and the Czech Republic…

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A new corona mutant has been detected in a 34-year-old woman from Brazil. The woman had hardly any symptoms. The mutation is now being investigated. Next Corona mutation emergedA new variant of the corona virus has been detected in a woman in Brazil. Scientists at the Instituto Butantan, which coordinates a Covid 19 variant alert network, identified the new variant in the city of Sorocaba, near the metropolis of São Paulo with its millions of inhabitants, the Instituto Butantan research organization wrote on Twitter Wednesday. According to the report, the…

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Provincial Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) announced on Wednesday that, after Vienna, Lower Austria will also extend the “Easter lockdown” to contain the corona crisis until April 11. A little later, Burgenland also announced that the lockdown in the province will be extended. “While a nationwide strategy remains outstanding – and the extension of the test strategy failed in parliament,” the situation in parts of the eastern region is “critical,” Mikl-Leitner said. Therefore, Lower Austria will “in solidarity with Vienna” extend the agreed measures until April 11. Lower Austria hopes for…

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As of today, Austria is divided in two: In the East, much stricter rules apply. Regulation. Since midnight, life in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland is further restricted. In the rest of the country, the previous Corona measures apply. Exit restrictions apply for 24 hours➔ Exceptions: In the three eastern provinces, the following applies: day and night, people are only allowed to leave the house in exceptional cases. These are the well-known reasons: the way to work, purchase of the most necessary, pharmacy & doctor visits, averting danger and, of…

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The traffic light commission has now assessed the risk situation as very high for all of Austria due to the epidemiological development in recent days and is therefore setting it to red throughout – including Vorarlberg. Last week, Vorarlberg was still exempt, although the Commission also saw worrying developments there. This is according to the current risk assessment, which is available to APA. The reason is the burden on the healthcare system, which has further increased compared to the previous week. Intensive care unit utilization due to Covid 19 patients…

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This news surprised the Austrians at the end of January: The supermarket brand “Merkur” will cease, the stores will now become “Billa Plus” Preparations in the 144 “Merkur” stores for the renaming are already in full swing. Thousands of signs, handles and price markers have to be replaced. From April 1, the time has come for the stores to open only as “Billa Plus”. Until the last traces of the former “Merkur” branding have really disappeared, it will still take a few weeks, explained Rewe spokesman Paul Pöttschacher in an…

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