Today in Austria: A roundup of the news on Wednesday
Grim Covid milestone reached, calls for inheritance tax, fears for OMV energy company after accident and more news from Austria on Wednesday.
Covid pandemic death toll reaches 20,000 mark
The corona pandemic reached another sad milestone on Tuesday. According to the Ages-Covid-Dashboard, 20,010 people in Austria have died of or with Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
In the past 24 hours, there have been 7,281 new infections with the coronavirus, according to figures from the Ministry of Health and the Interior (as of Tuesday, 9.30 a.m.), significantly more than the average of 6,133 infections per day over the past seven days. The seven-day incidence per 100,000 inhabitants is already 478.1.
The numbers from AGES Dashboard and the Ministry of Health are slightly different, as they use different criteria. AGES says that a COVID-19 death is defined as one laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 resulting in death, where the status "recovered" has NOT been present between the status "disease" and the status "death".
READ MORE: Fourth Covid-19 vaccination recommended for risk groups in Austria
Green Minister campaigns for inheritance tax
Austria’s Health and Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) is campaigning for an inheritance tax to be introduced. “Those people who have benefited enormously from an inheritance over the past 15 years must now make a fair contribution to overcoming the crises,” he told the Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper. Rauch also expressed this opinion at the end of April. However, the ÖVP party, which governs Austria in coalition with the Greens, has rejected the idea, broadcaster ORF reports.
Reform to child protection law in Austria after holiday camp abuse scandal
The government plans to close a legal loophole in child protection law. This move comes after a man convicted of child abuse in 2010 organised multi-day holiday camps for children and recently led outdoor courses for eight to twelve year olds for the Alpine Association (ÖAV), the Kurier newspaper reports. Youth State Secretary Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) wants to close “legal loopholes” in this area together with Family Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) as soon as possible. The Greens also see a “serious need for action”. The changes should mean that anyone convicted of child abuse is not allowed to work or volunteer to work with children again.
OMV accident: Expert locates "serious problem"
The accident in Austria’s Schwechat refinery at the beginning of June will create a “serious problem” for energy company OMV, energy expert Johannes Benigni has told broadcaster ORF . The repair work could take months. Meanwhile, OMV must buy diesel from India, the Middle East and Asia at greater cost. Due to the war in Ukraine, there are currently the highest refinery purchase prices of all time worldwide.
In Schwechat, production is currently reduced to 20 percent of total capacity, which will hurt the company's profit margins.
OMV has said in a written statement to the broadcaster: “The repair concept and schedule are being worked on. As soon as there is more information on this, this will be communicated.”
The accident has meant that all airlines flying to Vienna airport have been asked to avoid refuelling in Schwechat due to a kerosene shortage.
READ MORE: Vienna airport reassures travellers over summer holiday concerns
More thunderstorms on the way
Yet more thunderstorms are due to hit Austria today. Severe weather warnings (yellow) have already been issued for most of the country by experts at the UWZ storm center. In eastern Styria and eastern Upper Styria up to the Kalkalpen National Park, warnings of "distinctive weather" (orange) were issued from the early hours of the morning, according to ZAMG.
Dutch royal couple to visit Austria
The King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, and his wife Máxima will visit Austria as part of a state visit next week from Monday to Wednesday. In addition to the federal capital Vienna, where they will spend two days, the visit will also take them to the Styrian state capital Graz.
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Covid pandemic death toll reaches 20,000 mark
The corona pandemic reached another sad milestone on Tuesday. According to the Ages-Covid-Dashboard, 20,010 people in Austria have died of or with Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
In the past 24 hours, there have been 7,281 new infections with the coronavirus, according to figures from the Ministry of Health and the Interior (as of Tuesday, 9.30 a.m.), significantly more than the average of 6,133 infections per day over the past seven days. The seven-day incidence per 100,000 inhabitants is already 478.1.
The numbers from AGES Dashboard and the Ministry of Health are slightly different, as they use different criteria. AGES says that a COVID-19 death is defined as one laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 resulting in death, where the status "recovered" has NOT been present between the status "disease" and the status "death".
READ MORE: Fourth Covid-19 vaccination recommended for risk groups in Austria
Green Minister campaigns for inheritance tax
Austria’s Health and Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) is campaigning for an inheritance tax to be introduced. “Those people who have benefited enormously from an inheritance over the past 15 years must now make a fair contribution to overcoming the crises,” he told the Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper. Rauch also expressed this opinion at the end of April. However, the ÖVP party, which governs Austria in coalition with the Greens, has rejected the idea, broadcaster ORF reports.
Reform to child protection law in Austria after holiday camp abuse scandal
The government plans to close a legal loophole in child protection law. This move comes after a man convicted of child abuse in 2010 organised multi-day holiday camps for children and recently led outdoor courses for eight to twelve year olds for the Alpine Association (ÖAV), the Kurier newspaper reports. Youth State Secretary Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) wants to close “legal loopholes” in this area together with Family Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) as soon as possible. The Greens also see a “serious need for action”. The changes should mean that anyone convicted of child abuse is not allowed to work or volunteer to work with children again.
OMV accident: Expert locates "serious problem"
The accident in Austria’s Schwechat refinery at the beginning of June will create a “serious problem” for energy company OMV, energy expert Johannes Benigni has told broadcaster ORF . The repair work could take months. Meanwhile, OMV must buy diesel from India, the Middle East and Asia at greater cost. Due to the war in Ukraine, there are currently the highest refinery purchase prices of all time worldwide.
In Schwechat, production is currently reduced to 20 percent of total capacity, which will hurt the company's profit margins.
OMV has said in a written statement to the broadcaster: “The repair concept and schedule are being worked on. As soon as there is more information on this, this will be communicated.”
The accident has meant that all airlines flying to Vienna airport have been asked to avoid refuelling in Schwechat due to a kerosene shortage.
READ MORE: Vienna airport reassures travellers over summer holiday concerns
More thunderstorms on the way
Yet more thunderstorms are due to hit Austria today. Severe weather warnings (yellow) have already been issued for most of the country by experts at the UWZ storm center. In eastern Styria and eastern Upper Styria up to the Kalkalpen National Park, warnings of "distinctive weather" (orange) were issued from the early hours of the morning, according to ZAMG.
Dutch royal couple to visit Austria
The King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, and his wife Máxima will visit Austria as part of a state visit next week from Monday to Wednesday. In addition to the federal capital Vienna, where they will spend two days, the visit will also take them to the Styrian state capital Graz.
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