Category: General Interest

Experts at the Covid forecasting consortium continue to see a downward trend in Corona infection numbers next week. But the case trend is characterized by diametric dynamics. On the one hand, there is the seasonal effect, and on the other, immune protection acquired through infection or vaccination continues to decline. In the medium term, experts expect declining protection to dominate. Corona forecasters see a continuing downward trendThe timing and strength of this effect cannot be precisely quantified at this time, the current forecast states. According to the experts, both slight…

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Health Minister Johannes Rauch spoke of a “breathing space” when he announced Tuesday the suspension of mandatory masks in supermarkets and public transportation for three months starting June 1. It will only continue to apply in hospitals and retirement homes. Mandatory vaccination also remains suspended. Vienna, however, is taking a stricter approach, as it has done before: people will still have to wear an FFP2 mask in public transport, pharmacies, and doctors’ offices. This was announced by Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) on Tuesday. “There are more virus mutations, so it…

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Mandatory PCR testing will be eliminated at schools starting in June. If there are cases in a class, antigen testing can still be done. This step is in line with other actions taken by the federal government, Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) stressed to APA. “Today, the last measure in the school can be canceled.” The reason given for the discontinuation is the steady decline in the number of positive corona tests in recent weeks. HE SAID whether PCR tests would be conducted again at the start of school in…

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Vienna collected more than half a billion euros in fees last year. These include the dog tax but also parking space management. For some, it’s a rip-off; for others, it’s a long-overdue means of curbing individual traffic: the citywide parking sticker. However, for the city, it means one thing above all: additional revenue of a whopping 54 million euros. Whereas in 2021, the city would have collected 117 million euros, the figure will be 171 million euros this year. But the Viennese also have to pay other fees, such as…

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In the UK on Monday, the number of confirmed monkeypox cases has already risen to 56. The UK recommends quarantineThe British health authority UKHSA announced on Monday. By the weekend, about two dozen cases had been known. The number of monkeypox cases in Great Britain increased rapidlyBecause this virus spreads through close physical contact, we call on everyone to be vigilant for any unusual skin rashes or changes,” said UKHSA chief Susan Hopkins. GB recommends three-week quarantine for contacts.She said that a significant proportion of cases in the UK and…

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Experts are expecting a record summer. In addition to the heat, many thunderstorms should also be in the house. There was already a foretaste on Saturday. Austria must adjust – like all of Europe – to a heat summer records. Experts see dryness, which prevails in large parts of Europe, as the cause of the expected weather phenomenon. Sunday will offer a few hours of sunshine, especially from Upper Austria to Burgenland. In the west and south, there will be temporary clearing in the morning; in the afternoon, the tendency…

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It would be best to always wash avocados before eating them, even if you don’t eat the skin. That’s because dangerous bacteria such as listeria and salmonella could be on it. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns against this. In a test conducted by the health authority, several avocados contained harmful germs. Listeria and salmonella found on avocado peelsSince 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has randomly tested 1,615 avocados. The shocking result: listeria was detected in 17 cases. In 16 of the fruits examined, the…

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Corona subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 have been classified as concern variants in London. So far, however, the number of cases in the UK is manageable. New Corona variants BA.4 and BA.5 in ViennaThe UK has classified the omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 as variants of concern. Analysis of available data to the date indicated a growth advantage over the still-prevalent omicron subvariant BA.2, the U.K. health authority said Friday. So far, however, the number of cases in the U.K. has been very manageable – there are 115 confirmed or suspected…

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Next week, the government will decide whether mandatory vaccination will remain suspended over the summer or whether the law will be “armed.“ Violations of the duty should have been punished from mid-March, but on the recommendation of an expert commission, the vaccination duty was suspended until June 1. Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) stated a few weeks ago that she does not expect the law to be “armed” before the summer. The government had justified the suspension of mandatory vaccination in March because it would not be proportionate given the…

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