Austria: The number of infections with the corona virus is increasing. Opinions are divided on a comeback of the measures to avoid an escalating autumn wave.
Vienna – Summer is over and the autumn wave predicted for the corona pandemic seems to have arrived in Europe. While the Oktoberfest in Munich was identified as a potential superspreader event, Austria is also hit by a large number of new infections every day. The capital Vienna is therefore considering tightening the measures.
Austria: Infection high for corona infections expected – strong increase in a few days
Almost 2,000 people are currently being treated in Austrian hospitals for a corona infection. The number of patients rose from 1,697 (October 3rd) to 1,985 (October 4th) within one day, as the Austrian dashboard on Covid-19 shows. By Wednesday (October 12) will be, as the news portal vienna.at reports that an average of 2,287 cases requiring treatment are expected, and seven days later it should even be possible to reach an average of 2,696 patients. The highest conceivable figure is 3,428 cases as of Oct. 19, which would surpass the peak of nationwide infection-related hospitalizations in 2021 (2,767) by 661 cases.
Austria: Corona virus is thinning out clinic staff – politicians are discussing measures
On the one hand, the corona infections – in contrast to earlier peak phases of the pandemic – are currently largely incidental findings, so that vienna.at according to which “Covid sufferers compete to a lesser extent with standard care”. However, the virus does not stop at the clinic staff either; The result is losses of more than six percent on average across the country. The current “Wiesn wave” in Munich also shows how strongly a wave of infections can affect hospital operations.
In view of the situation in Germany’s neighboring country, Austrian politicians are asking to what extent it is appropriate to resume measures to prevent infection. OE24 According to this, advice is already being given in Vienna on expanding the obligation to wear masks; So far, stricter rules have applied in the capital anyway, for example a mask requirement in public transport – this is also expected in some parts of Bavaria. Nationwide, tightening in Austria is not to be expected.
Austria: Federal Minister of Health Rauch is reluctant – “Situation good, ‘manageable'”
In this context, the SPÖ accused the government of “stumbling into the autumn wave” “for the third time” and dubbed the Federal Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) as “minister of danger”. Rauch, on the other hand, rejected the reintroduction of infection-preventing measures. Last but not least, the existence of effective medication makes the situation incomparable to that of previous years.
Rauch appeared on the fringes of a press conference (October 4th). OE24 only open to the obligation to wear masks; so far, however, it has only been “hip” indoors with many people to wear a mask; According to the minister on Wednesday (October 5th), the situation to date is “easily ‘handleable'”. One has a “broad system of observation” for the corona development and is ready for “the intensive[n] Advice” from the experts, “to have to react now”, to act.
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