394,000 new cases: Flu record in Austria

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The flu wave has hit Austria particularly early and particularly hard this year. Most recently, an incidence for the first week of December was calculated at 4338. This corresponds to 394,000 new infections. The number of new infections in Vienna climbed to almost 34,000 last week. A record 25,200 cases of influenza or flu-like illness had already been reported in the first week of December. For all of Austria, the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) most recently calculated an incidence of 4338 such infections per 100,000 inhabitants. In…

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Shopping in Vienna on December 24, 2022: the opening hours of stores

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Since December 24, 2022, falls on a Saturday, numerous stores will be open. Here you can find all the info on the opening hours of supermarkets, drugstores and shopping centers in Vienna on Christmas Eve. Whether it’s Christmas presents, groceries or a Christmas tree: if you still need to shop or get gifts on December 24, Vienna also offers a few opportunities to do so on Christmas Eve. At Christmas, last-minute gifts can still be done in retail stores until 1 p.m., according to Vienna’s opening hours ordinance. Retailers of…

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“Prices remain high” – shock forecast for Austria

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Growth collapses in the first quarter of 2023 after the decline in the fourth quarter of 2022. When will Austria’s economy start growing again? Will energy prices continue to rise? And is Europe still competitive? WIFO head Gabriel Felbermayr answers these questions in an interview in the latest newsletter of “Österreich isst informiert” – an initiative of the Austrian food industry. Nestlé CEO Cédric Boehm also talks about dealing with increased raw material prices, the energy crisis and climate-friendly packaging. As Director of WIFO, Gabriel Felbermayr assumes that Austria will…

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The whole weather forecast on Christmas Eve

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There will probably be no white Christmas in any provincial capital this year. Along the northern Alps, the weather will be less than pleasant. This is the forecast. Austria is currently caught between an extensive low-pressure area over the British Isles with precipitation and a high over southeastern Europe. With a westerly high-altitude flow, mild air masses of subtropical origin are feeling their presence in the mountainous areas, while cold air is lingering in the northeast and the southern basins. In the middle of the week, a weak cold front…

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Gas network fees will increase starting January 1, 2023

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Bad news for (almost) all gas customers. The network fees will increase in eight of nine federal states already from January 1, 2023, in some cases significantly. The gas network fees, set annually, will rise as of January 1, 2023, for an average gas-heated household in all federal provinces except Tyrol. This was decided accordingly by the Regulatory Commission of E-Control. Depending on the area, network charges account for less than 20 percent of the total gas bill, with the remainder accounted for by the cost of gas delivery and…

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Healthy nut enjoyment during the Christmas season

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“Nuts and Christmas” – this traditional duo of pleasure and nostalgia is an integral part of the gift table. Walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts are indispensable to the cold, cozy winter season. Why is that so? In origin, nuts and Christmas did not find together for nutritional reasons. Still, they received their deep meaning as decoration for the fir tree, which moved many years ago as a unique Christmas custom into the warm rooms. Originally it was decorated with red apples and nuts. The apples symbolize God’s love and the expulsion…

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Exchange, Warranty & Co. in case of wrong or broken Christmas gifts

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What to do if you are not satisfied with the Christmas gift? The VKI clarifies exchange, right of withdrawal, warranty and guarantee. Not all Christmas gifts cause great joy to the recipient: Be it a piece of clothing in the wrong size, a technical device that gives up the ghost shortly after unpacking, or even a gift that simply does not please. What options do consumers have if something goes wrong with the gift? Manuela Robinson, head of the advice department at the Association for Consumer Information (VKI), provides information…

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What has changed this year legally – and what comes 2023

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Warranty law It started well before. On January 1, 2022, the new regulations on warranty law came into force, making it easier for consumers to enforce their warranty claims if the purchased goods have a defect. Austria did not take on a pioneering role in this respect; instead, it was a matter of complying with European directives. Attorney Robert Suppan from the Suppan/Berger law firm in St. Veit an der Glan explains why the amendment is nevertheless a significant improvement from the consumer’s point of view: “To be able to…

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Authorities report 2,615 new Corona cases on Monday

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Corona numbers are rising, though they are doing so more slowly now than in previous weeks. An overview of the figures for the week so far: 3,119 reported infections on Monday and 5,113 new infections on Tuesday, 6,751 infections on Wednesday, 5,469 cases on Thursday and 4,918 new conditions on Friday and 4,280 on Saturday. Three thousand five hundred sixty-two new infections on Sunday rounded out the week. And how does it look on Monday? According to a report by the Austrian newspaper “Heute,” 3,562 new infections and one death…

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