Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Find out what's going on in Austria on Friday, with The Local's short roundup of today's news.
Unvaccinated people 'could be banned' from restaurants and cafes if intensive care situation worsens
Further restrictions are likely in Austria according to Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein, if intensive care beds go beyond 25 percent capacity (500 beds), he has told the Kleine Zeitung newspaper.
Unvaccinated people may be banned from restaurants and cafes, with only those who have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 allowed in.
Broadcaster ORF reports that Vienna City Councilor for Health Peter Hacker (SPÖ) also assumes that stricter measures will soon be necessary and says experts fear the step-by-step approach laid out by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Wednesday may mean measures come too late to stop the fourth wave in Austria.
The head of the Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH), Stefan Thurner, has told the APA press agency that the situation was comparable to a car approaching a wall and braking too late, the Krone newspaper reports.
Vaccination campaign to target younger people
Last week, around 39 percent of new CoV infections in Austria were in people aged under 25, broadcaster ORF reports.
Younger age groups also have the worst vaccination rate. As of today, a new campaign will put “a special focus on younger people” and try to reach them through advertisements and social media.
The new campaign will address fears around the vaccine and fertility and give out information in different languages.
Herd immunity could be only ten percent away, say scientists
Scientists from Austria’s Complexity Science Hub (CSH) agree that herd immunity from Covid-19 has not been reached in Austria. "Maybe we are only ten percent off," said CSH head Stefan Thurner.
There is still a lack of targeted campaigns to convince vaccine sceptics, the Krone newspaper reports.
Man kept mummified corpse of mother in basement for a year
A man kept the mummified corpse of his mother in a basement in Tyrol for over a year while continuing to receive her pension payments, broadcaster ORF reports.
The 89-year-old woman , who reportedly had dementia, is thought to have died of natural causes in June last year. Her son, 66, is reported to have put her body in his cellar and used ice packs and bandages to mask the smell. Once he ran out, he masked any odour with cat litter.
"Ultimately, the corpse was mummified," officer Helmuth Gufler said, adding that the man had confessed. Police believe he may have illegally received about €50,000 (£42,000) in payments.
Universities plan 70 percent face-to-face events
According to the Ministry of Education, the aim of the universities is to achieve around 70 percent face-to-face events when the autumn semester begins. Austria’s universities can decide autonomously which protective measures apply at their locations.
The ministry said it was important that the rules, for example a 3-G or 2-G requirement, were communicated to the students at an early stage, broadcaster ORF reports.
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Unvaccinated people 'could be banned' from restaurants and cafes if intensive care situation worsens
Further restrictions are likely in Austria according to Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein, if intensive care beds go beyond 25 percent capacity (500 beds), he has told the Kleine Zeitung newspaper.
Unvaccinated people may be banned from restaurants and cafes, with only those who have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 allowed in.
Broadcaster ORF reports that Vienna City Councilor for Health Peter Hacker (SPÖ) also assumes that stricter measures will soon be necessary and says experts fear the step-by-step approach laid out by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Wednesday may mean measures come too late to stop the fourth wave in Austria.
The head of the Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH), Stefan Thurner, has told the APA press agency that the situation was comparable to a car approaching a wall and braking too late, the Krone newspaper reports.
Vaccination campaign to target younger people
Last week, around 39 percent of new CoV infections in Austria were in people aged under 25, broadcaster ORF reports.
Younger age groups also have the worst vaccination rate. As of today, a new campaign will put “a special focus on younger people” and try to reach them through advertisements and social media.
The new campaign will address fears around the vaccine and fertility and give out information in different languages.
Herd immunity could be only ten percent away, say scientists
Scientists from Austria’s Complexity Science Hub (CSH) agree that herd immunity from Covid-19 has not been reached in Austria. "Maybe we are only ten percent off," said CSH head Stefan Thurner.
There is still a lack of targeted campaigns to convince vaccine sceptics, the Krone newspaper reports.
Man kept mummified corpse of mother in basement for a year
A man kept the mummified corpse of his mother in a basement in Tyrol for over a year while continuing to receive her pension payments, broadcaster ORF reports.
The 89-year-old woman , who reportedly had dementia, is thought to have died of natural causes in June last year. Her son, 66, is reported to have put her body in his cellar and used ice packs and bandages to mask the smell. Once he ran out, he masked any odour with cat litter.
"Ultimately, the corpse was mummified," officer Helmuth Gufler said, adding that the man had confessed. Police believe he may have illegally received about €50,000 (£42,000) in payments.
Universities plan 70 percent face-to-face events
According to the Ministry of Education, the aim of the universities is to achieve around 70 percent face-to-face events when the autumn semester begins. Austria’s universities can decide autonomously which protective measures apply at their locations.
The ministry said it was important that the rules, for example a 3-G or 2-G requirement, were communicated to the students at an early stage, broadcaster ORF reports.
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