Austria lockdown: Which businesses are still open?
On November 22nd Austria was placed under a tight Covid lockdown again, but businesses deemed essential are still allowed to stay open. Here's your guide to the rules.
The lockdown means that most non-essential businesses need to close. Certain shops are deemed necessary and are allowed to stay open; these include supermarkets, grocery stores, pet food stores, pharmacies and drugstores, banks, post offices, petrol stations, newsagents, and car and bicycle workshops. Non-essential retail stores may still offer Click and Collect services, allowing customers to order online or over the phone and collect goods at the store.
Within the catering industry, restaurants, bars, cafes and pubs have to close but they are allowed to offer take-away and delivery services are also still allowed. This includes alcoholic beverages, though these need to be sold sealed. Food and drinks purchased for take-away cannot be consumed within 50 metres of the business. Catering businesses that are part of another essential service, for example company canteens in workplaces, and restaurants within hospitals or elderly care homes, are an exception to the rule and may remain open, but only for the people resident or working at the site.
READ ALSO: Covid-19 in Austria: Follow the latest developments as they happen
Hotels are closed to tourists, although anyone already in Austria on a tourist visit at the time of the lockdown is allowed to complete their stay. Hotels may also stay open for people travelling on essential business trips or for other reasons if someone urgently needs accommodation.
Services that require close physical contact need to close, including hairdressers, beauty salons and massage salons.
The vast majority of cultural and leisure venues will also be closed for the duration of the lockdown: theatres, cinemas, museums, libraries, public swimming pools, amusement parks, and indoor play areas will all have their doors closed. Drive-in cinemas are one of the only permitted cultural offerings.
Austria's Christmas markets are closed.
Professional sports events may take place in some situations, but with no spectators allowed.
Other events are banned, although there exceptions for demonstrations, religious events, professional meetings that cannot be postponed or held remotely, and medical or psychological self-help groups.
One change from earlier drafts of the plan is that skiing will remain possible during the lockdown, albeit with a 2G (proof of vaccination or recovery) requirement for cable cars and an FFP2 mask mandate in enclosed gondolas and cable cars.
READ ALSO: How Austria has reacted to the new nationwide lockdown
Most workplaces are not officially closed by law, although home-working is recommended by the government if at all possible to do so and state employees have been sent home. For people still attending the workplace, the 3G rule introduced at the start of November still applies, so they will need to provide proof of vaccination, recovery from Covid-19 or a recent negative test. FFP2 masks are also required at the workplace.
Hospitals and nursing homes of course remain open throughout the lockdown, but with stricter rules on visitors. Any visitor must adhere to the 2G+ rule, meaning they need proof of vaccination or recovery and a recent negative PCR test. There are also limits on visitor numbers: one visitor per patient per week in hospitals and two visitors per resident per day in nursing homes, though for minors and some especially vulnerable people these limits can be increased.
Comments
See Also
The lockdown means that most non-essential businesses need to close. Certain shops are deemed necessary and are allowed to stay open; these include supermarkets, grocery stores, pet food stores, pharmacies and drugstores, banks, post offices, petrol stations, newsagents, and car and bicycle workshops. Non-essential retail stores may still offer Click and Collect services, allowing customers to order online or over the phone and collect goods at the store.
Within the catering industry, restaurants, bars, cafes and pubs have to close but they are allowed to offer take-away and delivery services are also still allowed. This includes alcoholic beverages, though these need to be sold sealed. Food and drinks purchased for take-away cannot be consumed within 50 metres of the business. Catering businesses that are part of another essential service, for example company canteens in workplaces, and restaurants within hospitals or elderly care homes, are an exception to the rule and may remain open, but only for the people resident or working at the site.
READ ALSO: Covid-19 in Austria: Follow the latest developments as they happen
Hotels are closed to tourists, although anyone already in Austria on a tourist visit at the time of the lockdown is allowed to complete their stay. Hotels may also stay open for people travelling on essential business trips or for other reasons if someone urgently needs accommodation.
Services that require close physical contact need to close, including hairdressers, beauty salons and massage salons.
The vast majority of cultural and leisure venues will also be closed for the duration of the lockdown: theatres, cinemas, museums, libraries, public swimming pools, amusement parks, and indoor play areas will all have their doors closed. Drive-in cinemas are one of the only permitted cultural offerings.
Austria's Christmas markets are closed.
Professional sports events may take place in some situations, but with no spectators allowed.
Other events are banned, although there exceptions for demonstrations, religious events, professional meetings that cannot be postponed or held remotely, and medical or psychological self-help groups.
One change from earlier drafts of the plan is that skiing will remain possible during the lockdown, albeit with a 2G (proof of vaccination or recovery) requirement for cable cars and an FFP2 mask mandate in enclosed gondolas and cable cars.
READ ALSO: How Austria has reacted to the new nationwide lockdown
Most workplaces are not officially closed by law, although home-working is recommended by the government if at all possible to do so and state employees have been sent home. For people still attending the workplace, the 3G rule introduced at the start of November still applies, so they will need to provide proof of vaccination, recovery from Covid-19 or a recent negative test. FFP2 masks are also required at the workplace.
Hospitals and nursing homes of course remain open throughout the lockdown, but with stricter rules on visitors. Any visitor must adhere to the 2G+ rule, meaning they need proof of vaccination or recovery and a recent negative PCR test. There are also limits on visitor numbers: one visitor per patient per week in hospitals and two visitors per resident per day in nursing homes, though for minors and some especially vulnerable people these limits can be increased.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.