Category: General Interest

Vienna Airport in Schwechat is expanding its CoV test offering. In addition to PCR tests, rapid antigen tests are now also offered. The medical certificate of the antigen rapid test already leads to entry facilitations in some countries. At the airport’s Health Center, it has already been possible since the beginning of May to take a molecular biological Covid-19 test (so-called PCR test). With immediate effect, interested parties can now also have rapid antigen tests performed. Such a test quickly provides information about an existing Covid 19 infection, and the…

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By January 2021, the package for the content of the care reform will be completed. This was announced today by Social Minister Rudolf Anschober. Currently, he said, they are in the midst of implementation, where the main goal will be to attract 100,000 additional employees to the nursing profession through appropriate incentives. Anschober said staff is the most important area, citing two problem areas: First, of the current 127,000 employees, more than 30 percent are currently over 50 years old and will retire in the next ten years, he said.…

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The Corona mass tests came to an end on Sunday in many states. Less than one percent of the participants were positive. In Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland, Salzburg, Carinthia and Styria there was still the last opportunity to be tested on Sunday. In Upper Austria, mass testing will continue until Monday. The percentage of positive results has been low so far. In Carinthia it was 0.5 percent, in Styria 0.4 percent tested positive. In Vienna and Upper Austria the rate was 0.3 percent, in Lower Austria only 0.14 percent. The…

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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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