Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Find out what's going on in Austria on Wednesday, with The Local's short roundup of today's news.
Austria considers '3-G' rule for work
Austria is considering a “3-G rule” at work, in which people will have to show they have been vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or present a recent negative Covid-19 test in the workplace. This requirement will soon be in place in neighbouring Italy.
Broadcaster ORF reports the Ministry of Health is “quite open” to this measure in order to increase the vaccination rate, and relieve the intensive care units. The trade union (ÖGB) also confirmed this measure was under discussion in the daily newspaper “Osterreich 24”, and said there were talks at the social partner level.
An ÖGB spokeswoman said she was "positive about this project," and added it would mean a "3-G" certificate for work in general, not just in offices. In Italy, the announcement of the “3-G rule” in the workplace caused vaccination rates to skyrocket, according to broadcaster ORF.
‘3G Rule’: How to prove you have been vaccinated, tested or recovered from Covid in Austria
Unvaccinated Viennese banned from balls, music concerts and football matches in October
People who have not been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 will not be able to go to a ball at the opera house, attend music concerts or go to Wien Rapid football matches in Vienna from 1st October for one month, under the new rules for the capital which The Local explained on Monday.
The Österreich 24 newspaper says Rapid fans are planning to strike over the new rules for football stadiums.
READ MORE: Vienna to further tighten Covid measures from October
The reason for the tougher rules is that younger patients are now being admitted to hospital. The average age is now 48 years, according to the Kleine Zeitung newspaper, operations are having to be postponed in Vienna and more than 90 percent of the patients in the intensive care units are not vaccinated.
Gas bills set to soar in Austria
People who buy their household energy with a contract which is based on the monthly wholesale price will notice their gas bills increasing steeply in Austria, broadcaster ORF reports.
The gas price index (ÖGPI), which is calculated by the Austrian Energy Agency, is five times as high in September as it was a year ago, which reflects the situation on the global gas market as the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Germany has already reported an increase in gas prices for autumn and winter, but in Austria price increases in the standard tariffs have not yet been publicly announced. Karina Knaus, head of the Center for Economics, Consumers and Prices at the Austrian Energy Agency, told broadcaster ORF that it could be assumed prices would rise in Austria as well.
Prices are not expected to go down until the spring.
New corona memorial in Graz
A new memorial in Graz's Burggarten is intended to commemorate the Covid-19 pandemic and encourage reflection.
The work of art "Distanced Proximity" by the Styrian artist Wolfgang Becksteiner was unveiled yesterday, broadcaster ORF reports.
All Austria's political parties come together to urge vaccination, apart from the far-right FPÖ
Four of Austria’s political parties (the ÖVP, Greens, SPÖ, and Neos) are coming together to promote vaccination, the Die Presse newspaper reports. The far right FPÖ is notably absent - with party leader Herbert Kickl and sections of the party remaining vaccine sceptics.
Vaccines in schools are still not being widely used according to Der Standard newspaper, which notes that more than half of children over 12 are unvaccinated. It reports that top student representative Susanna Öllinger is calling for the benefit of vaccinations to be discussed more widely in schools in order to counteract disinformation.
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Austria considers '3-G' rule for work
Austria is considering a “3-G rule” at work, in which people will have to show they have been vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or present a recent negative Covid-19 test in the workplace. This requirement will soon be in place in neighbouring Italy.
Broadcaster ORF reports the Ministry of Health is “quite open” to this measure in order to increase the vaccination rate, and relieve the intensive care units. The trade union (ÖGB) also confirmed this measure was under discussion in the daily newspaper “Osterreich 24”, and said there were talks at the social partner level.
An ÖGB spokeswoman said she was "positive about this project," and added it would mean a "3-G" certificate for work in general, not just in offices. In Italy, the announcement of the “3-G rule” in the workplace caused vaccination rates to skyrocket, according to broadcaster ORF.
‘3G Rule’: How to prove you have been vaccinated, tested or recovered from Covid in Austria
Unvaccinated Viennese banned from balls, music concerts and football matches in October
People who have not been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 will not be able to go to a ball at the opera house, attend music concerts or go to Wien Rapid football matches in Vienna from 1st October for one month, under the new rules for the capital which The Local explained on Monday.
The Österreich 24 newspaper says Rapid fans are planning to strike over the new rules for football stadiums.
READ MORE: Vienna to further tighten Covid measures from October
The reason for the tougher rules is that younger patients are now being admitted to hospital. The average age is now 48 years, according to the Kleine Zeitung newspaper, operations are having to be postponed in Vienna and more than 90 percent of the patients in the intensive care units are not vaccinated.
Gas bills set to soar in Austria
People who buy their household energy with a contract which is based on the monthly wholesale price will notice their gas bills increasing steeply in Austria, broadcaster ORF reports.
The gas price index (ÖGPI), which is calculated by the Austrian Energy Agency, is five times as high in September as it was a year ago, which reflects the situation on the global gas market as the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Germany has already reported an increase in gas prices for autumn and winter, but in Austria price increases in the standard tariffs have not yet been publicly announced. Karina Knaus, head of the Center for Economics, Consumers and Prices at the Austrian Energy Agency, told broadcaster ORF that it could be assumed prices would rise in Austria as well.
Prices are not expected to go down until the spring.
New corona memorial in Graz
A new memorial in Graz's Burggarten is intended to commemorate the Covid-19 pandemic and encourage reflection.
The work of art "Distanced Proximity" by the Styrian artist Wolfgang Becksteiner was unveiled yesterday, broadcaster ORF reports.
All Austria's political parties come together to urge vaccination, apart from the far-right FPÖ
Four of Austria’s political parties (the ÖVP, Greens, SPÖ, and Neos) are coming together to promote vaccination, the Die Presse newspaper reports. The far right FPÖ is notably absent - with party leader Herbert Kickl and sections of the party remaining vaccine sceptics.
Vaccines in schools are still not being widely used according to Der Standard newspaper, which notes that more than half of children over 12 are unvaccinated. It reports that top student representative Susanna Öllinger is calling for the benefit of vaccinations to be discussed more widely in schools in order to counteract disinformation.
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