Category: General Interest

Today, Sunday, the Austria-wide mass testing initiated by the federal government ends in Vienna. Although the three test sites are still open until 6 p.m., it is already clear that only slightly more than ten percent of the population in the federal capital had themselves tested for the virus free of charge. Capacity was designed for a participation rate of up to 60 percent, or 1.2 million people. Including Saturday, according to the office of Health Councillor Peter Hacker (SPÖ), exactly 204,880 people had a rapid antigen test carried out…

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Online shopping is booming in times of Corona – and of course also when it comes to Christmas presents: 32 percent of people in Austria are getting their presents exclusively via the Internet this year, which is eleven percentage points more than in 2017, according to a survey conducted by Unique Research for “profil”. A further 25 percent shop both online and in stores – making a total of 57 percent who use the Internet for all or part of their gifts. According to “profil,” 23 percent want to do…

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The drug from German pharmaceutical company Biontech and its U.S. partner Pfizer has become the first Corona vaccine to receive emergency approval in the United States. The vaccine can now be used in people 16 and older, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Friday evening (local time). FDA chief Stephen Hahn spoke of a “significant milestone in the fight against this devastating pandemic.” According to media reports, the White House had previously used threats to push the FDA for immediate emergency approval. According to the report, U.S. President-elect…

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A Corona vaccine has been approved in the US for the first time. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency approval to the vaccine from Mainz-based biotech company BioNTech and its partner Pfizer on Friday evening. This is valid for people 16 years and older, the FDA announced. The first vaccinations are expected within days. U.S. President Donald Trump promised an even faster deployment. “The first vaccination will be administered in less than 24 hours,” Trump said in a video on Twitter. He said he was proud to…

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For meetings in a larger circle, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day remain the exceptions, on New Year’s Eve the current contact restrictions apply. The federal states will also have the option of partially introducing a mask requirement outdoors as well. In addition, this will be mandatory in the workplace if the distance can not be maintained. Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Green Party) and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (Austrian People’s Party) gave a Press Conference on the current Corona development on Friday evening after a video conference with the provincial governors. Vienna…

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There will be an increased number of Holy Masses during the Christmas holidays so that the number of people celebrating can be spread out more evenly. The member churches of the Ecumenical Council of Churches have agreed on this. Furthermore, congregations are to be encouraged to broadcast services via video. If possible, a registration system for those attending services is also to be offered, or services are to be staggered. The previous protective measures, which the Ministry of Culture and the churches had already agreed on a week ago, will…

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged close international coordination on coronavirus vaccinations. “The pandemic is a crisis like no other, in which the world faces a common enemy. Unfortunately, governments have not responded together to this global threat,” Guterres said today at the annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum. The meeting this time focused on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Responses to the novel virus were chaotic and uncoordinated in the early months, the Portuguese said. Countries, regions and even cities competed for basic supplies, he said. That should not…

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About 349,000 people, or 4.7 percent of the population, had contracted Covid-19 infection across Austria by mid- or late October. This is the result of the first nationwide antibody study presented by Statistik Austria and the Ministry of Education on Friday. Sixty-one percent of those who tested positive for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 had not previously been registered as Corona cases. The so-called seroprevalence is higher in the West than in the East. Between Nov. 12-14, blood was drawn from 2,229 people over the age of 16 as part of the…

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The elected U.S. President Joe Biden (78) and his Vice President Kamala Harris (56) have been chosen by “Time Magazine” as the people of the year. This was announced by rock superstar Bruce Springsteen (71) last night (local time) on the NBC channel. “The next four years will be a tremendous test for them and for all of us to see if they can bring about the unity they promised,” said “Time” editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal. Biden, a Democrat, had won against Republican incumbent Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 presidential…

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