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Austria to relax Covid rules for shopping, restaurants

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Austria to relax Covid rules for shopping, restaurants
Personnel cleans the windows of a restaurant at the Naschmarkt market in Vienna on May 18, 2021, as restaurants and hotels prepare to re-open tomorrow on May 19, 2020, amid the ongoing coronavirus Covid-19 pamndemic. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

The Austrian government announced on Saturday that it would end the “2G” entry rules for retail and restaurants while allowing businesses to stay open until midnight.

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The curfew for restaurants and bars will be extended from 10pm until midnight starting on February 5th, while the maximum number of guests at an event will be raised to 50 people on the same day, the Health Ministry confirmed.

A week later, on February 12th, the so-called 2G rules for retail will be removed, meaning that people will no longer need to produce proof of vaccination or recovery at the entrance to shops. Customers will still have to wear FFP2 masks.

Starting on February 19th, Austria will end the 2G rule for the restaurant sector and events, replacing it with a 3G system. Under 3G, people can enter a location by providing proof of vaccination or recovery, or a negative test result.

Under another rule change, the PCR test will only be valid for 48 hours instead of the previous 72 hours.

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The softening of the rule has been welcomed by industry representatives.

The Austrian Retail Association said that “everyone will once again be there for everyone.”

SEE ALSO: Covid-19 in Austria - Follow the latest developments as they happen

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