Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Find out what's going on in Austria on Monday, with The Local's short roundup of today's news.
Calls for more groups to need compulsory vaccinations
The chairman of Austria's bioethics commission, Christiane Druml, has told the Kleine Zeitung newspaper she wants to extend compulsory vaccinations to groups such as hairdressers.
The lawyer believes compulsory vaccines should not only be for the entire education, care and health sector, which also includes pharmacists, 24-hour nurses and midwives, but also for all professions in close contact with customers such as hairdressers.
On Saturday, the , Austrian Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein said in interviews with Die Presse and Der Standard newspapers that he was in favour of compulsory vaccination for new and existing staff in hospitals and old people's homes, however, he would prefer the decision to be made by state-level authorities.
Thunderstorms hit Austria once more
Thunderstorms have once again caused damage in parts of Austria. There have been mudslides, especially in the Tyrolean lowlands and in Salzburg.
In Lower Austria, the Amstetten district was particularly hard hit, APA news agency reports. According to the weather service Ubimet, 85,000 lightning strikes were registered by Sunday morning. More thunderstorms and hail are expected later today from the west for the later afternoon and early evening.
Hallein flood 'could have been prevented'
Agriculture Minister Elisabeth Köstinger has said that, if the Natural Conservation Union Naturschutzbund hadn't appealed against a planned flood protection project, the disaster in Hallein could have been prevented last weekend, Der Standard newspaper reports.
#Hallein vor wenigen Minuten. #Hochwasser #Salzburg pic.twitter.com/zbVI8yYr7w
— Der Mario (@DerMarioO) July 17, 2021
Austrians celebrate gold medal
Austrians have been celebrating the achievement of Lower Austrian Anna Kiesenhofer, who won a gold medal in the road bike race on Sunday at the Tokyo Olympics. The 30-year-olds was praised by the Austrian Olympic Committee (ÖOC) and Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen.
Van der Bellen congratulated the cyclist on Twitter, writing: “Anna Kiesenhofer, what an achievement!” ÖOC President Karl Stoss called her a “real role model”. It means that Austria are currently 13th in the medal table. It is the first cycling medal for Austria in 125 years, broadcaster ORF reports.
Mandatory PCR tests for travellers coming from Spain, the Netherlands and Cyprus
Austria's federal government is introducing mandatory PCR tests for travellers returning from Spain, the Netherlands and Cyprus, Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein announced this at a press conference on Saturday. Fully vaccinated and recovered persons with at least one vaccination are excluded, the Austrian press agency APA reports
Free PCR tests in pharmacies in Tyrol
Tyrol will start making free PCR tests available in pharmacies this week, broadcaster ORF reports. It will be possible to take a test in 100 out of 130 pharmacies. You can register via the “Austria tests” platform or directly at the pharmacies.
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Calls for more groups to need compulsory vaccinations
The chairman of Austria's bioethics commission, Christiane Druml, has told the Kleine Zeitung newspaper she wants to extend compulsory vaccinations to groups such as hairdressers.
The lawyer believes compulsory vaccines should not only be for the entire education, care and health sector, which also includes pharmacists, 24-hour nurses and midwives, but also for all professions in close contact with customers such as hairdressers.
On Saturday, the , Austrian Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein said in interviews with Die Presse and Der Standard newspapers that he was in favour of compulsory vaccination for new and existing staff in hospitals and old people's homes, however, he would prefer the decision to be made by state-level authorities.
Thunderstorms hit Austria once more
Thunderstorms have once again caused damage in parts of Austria. There have been mudslides, especially in the Tyrolean lowlands and in Salzburg.
In Lower Austria, the Amstetten district was particularly hard hit, APA news agency reports. According to the weather service Ubimet, 85,000 lightning strikes were registered by Sunday morning. More thunderstorms and hail are expected later today from the west for the later afternoon and early evening.
Hallein flood 'could have been prevented'
Agriculture Minister Elisabeth Köstinger has said that, if the Natural Conservation Union Naturschutzbund hadn't appealed against a planned flood protection project, the disaster in Hallein could have been prevented last weekend, Der Standard newspaper reports.
#Hallein vor wenigen Minuten. #Hochwasser #Salzburg pic.twitter.com/zbVI8yYr7w
— Der Mario (@DerMarioO) July 17, 2021
Austrians celebrate gold medal
Austrians have been celebrating the achievement of Lower Austrian Anna Kiesenhofer, who won a gold medal in the road bike race on Sunday at the Tokyo Olympics. The 30-year-olds was praised by the Austrian Olympic Committee (ÖOC) and Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen.
Van der Bellen congratulated the cyclist on Twitter, writing: “Anna Kiesenhofer, what an achievement!” ÖOC President Karl Stoss called her a “real role model”. It means that Austria are currently 13th in the medal table. It is the first cycling medal for Austria in 125 years, broadcaster ORF reports.
Mandatory PCR tests for travellers coming from Spain, the Netherlands and Cyprus
Austria's federal government is introducing mandatory PCR tests for travellers returning from Spain, the Netherlands and Cyprus, Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein announced this at a press conference on Saturday. Fully vaccinated and recovered persons with at least one vaccination are excluded, the Austrian press agency APA reports
Free PCR tests in pharmacies in Tyrol
Tyrol will start making free PCR tests available in pharmacies this week, broadcaster ORF reports. It will be possible to take a test in 100 out of 130 pharmacies. You can register via the “Austria tests” platform or directly at the pharmacies.
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