Category: General Interest

After the announcement of the REWE Group (Billa, merkur and Penny) more and more supermarkets are following suit and want to give away FFP2 masks for free. In the middle of the week, the supermarket chains Hofer, Spar and REWE (Billa, Merkur, Penny) had announced that they would sell the FFP2 masks from 59 cents each. But then REWE provided a surprise, announcing that it would initially make the masks available for free. “This offer is valid while stocks last at the respective location,” it said in a statement. Spar…

Read More

The B117 mutation is thought to be up to 70 percent more contagious.The UK government today provided information on disturbing findings: Apparently, the B117 mutation is said to be not only more contagious, but also more deadly than previous variants. The coronavirus mutant B.1.1.7, first detected in England, is apparently more deadly than earlier virus variants, according to British findings. There is now “evidence” that the mutant is not only more contagious but also “associated with a higher mortality rate,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday evening in London. The…

Read More

In all public transport, FFP2 masks are mandatory as of Monday.A disregard of the FFP2 mask obligation is with the ÖBB 40 euro penalty costs. Those who refuse must also expect to be excluded from the journey. ÖBB not worried about mask obligationFrom Monday (25 January), the mandatory wearing of FFP2 masks applies, among other things, in public transport and thus also for all passengers in the trains, buses and stations of ÖBB. The journey without FFP2 mask or with a mouth-nose protection of lower protection class is from this…

Read More

According to reports in several media citing the Ministry of Health, AstraZeneca could deliver less vaccine to the EU than originally planned. For Austria, this would mean that only 600,000 vaccine doses could be delivered in the first quarter instead of 2,000,000. For the time being, there was no official confirmation from the Ministry of Health or AstraZeneca. An EU decision on the approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine is expected on January 29. According to the insider information, domestic authorities were informed of this today after speaking with AstraZeneca representatives…

Read More

539 positive samples from all over Vienna were examined by PCR for the presence of the mutations N501Y and Del69/70 specific for the virus mutation B.1.1.7. In 66 of the samples, these mutations could indeed be detected. “The proportion of the mutant variant in the positive samples is about 12 percent. This shows that B.1.1.7. has arrived in Austria. Since no systematic testing of the mutation has been carried out in Austria so far, it is unfortunately impossible to say how long this mutation of the Covid 19 virus has…

Read More

From Monday, the FFP2 masks are mandatory to use. The aggressive virus mutation from Great Britain presents Austria with new challenges: From Monday, therefore, the wearing of FFP2 masks in supermarkets, pharmacies and public transport is mandatory. This regulation is already causing quite a stir. On the one hand, there’s the price, and on the other, there’s the problem of breathing. If the mask is fitted correctly – i.e. tightly – the usually very dense fabric restricts the ability to breathe. This is one reason why the German Federal Institute…

Read More

More than 3,000 Austrians already received second dose of vaccination.In Austria, at least 3,244 people have been vaccinated with a second dose against Covid-19 up to and including Wednesday. This is according to figures from the electronic vaccination record available to APA. So many Viennese are already vaccinatedIn total, 106,195 vaccinations are listed there. That corresponds to about 70 percent of the vaccinated persons according to the data of the federal states. The Ministry of Social Affairs has not yet published these figures. The ministry informs on its homepage only…

Read More

The number of Corona deaths in the U.S. is now higher than those of U.S. soldiers killed in action or otherwise killed during World War II. Johns Hopkins University recorded about 406,000 deaths related to coronavirus infections since the pandemic began through late Wednesday night. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a total of 405,399 soldiers in the U.S. armed forces had died during World War II. The symbolic mark was passed the day new U.S. President Joe Biden took office. He has made fighting the pandemic, which…

Read More

Starting Monday, anyone using public transportation or going shopping in Austria will have to hang up their cloth masks and switch to the more effective FFP2 masks. The futurezone has already explained how these can be reused under certain circumstances. However, many who have already become accustomed to the fabric mask wonder if FFP2 really makes that much of a difference, especially since it is much more strenuous to wear than the less protective mask alternatives. FFP2 also beats medical maskAccording to aerosol researcher Bernadett Weinzierl of the University of…

Read More