Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
End to Covid quarantine rumoured, man sentenced for people smuggling, petitions against compulsory vaccination reach Parliament and more news from Austria on Tuesday.
Could quarantine be the next Covid restriction to be abolished?
According to the Krone newspaper, secret plans for the final end of the quarantine rules are currently being discussed at the Ministry of Health. In the future, a so-called traffic restriction, for example being allowed to leave the house to go to work and to the shops as long as you wear a mask, could replace the current quarantine rules. A change has already been made to Austria's epidemic act to make this possible.
People smuggler given seven years after two refugees found dead in truck
A 19-year-old who was arrested after two dead refugees were found in his small truck at the Austro-Hungarian border in Burgenland, has been sentenced to seven years in prison by the Eisenstadt Regional Court. A jury found him guilty of smuggling and fatal assault – but said he was not guilty of murder.
The Latvian admitted to transporting 30 refugees in his truck for up to eight hours without a break. The group were so tightly packed they were unable to sit down or stand up, as the truck measured just 1.40 m in height. They were not given food or water, and had started to run out of oxygen. The Krone reports one refugee described the trip, saying: “They invited us in there like animals. As if we weren't human.” It is not clear if the verdict is final, as the prosecutor has yet to give a statement.
Petition against compulsory Covid vaccination comes to Parliament
A petition against compulsory Covid-19 vaccination has made it into Austrian parliament, although the law has now been abolished. The petition gathered 242,169 signatures, meaning it has far surpassed the hurdle of 100,000 signatures to be considered by Parliament. A request for the resignation of the federal government, which drew signatures from 172,713 people must also now be dealt with in Austria’s National Council.
READ MORE:
- Austria to scrap mandatory covid vaccination law
- Universal income and vaccinations: What’s at stake in Austria’s petition week?
Swimming pools see large numbers of visitors
Vienna’s swimming pools are busy this summer due to the heatwave. The Krone reports visitor numbers are up 50 percent on the number of visitors in 2021. Despite the higher prices, 200,000 more people spent their time in municipal pools than in the same period in 2021. There have been queues over the weekend at the Laaerbergbad, and at Krapfenwaldbad.
READ MORE: Heatwave in Austria: Temperatures to top 36 degrees from Monday
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Could quarantine be the next Covid restriction to be abolished?
According to the Krone newspaper, secret plans for the final end of the quarantine rules are currently being discussed at the Ministry of Health. In the future, a so-called traffic restriction, for example being allowed to leave the house to go to work and to the shops as long as you wear a mask, could replace the current quarantine rules. A change has already been made to Austria's epidemic act to make this possible.
People smuggler given seven years after two refugees found dead in truck
A 19-year-old who was arrested after two dead refugees were found in his small truck at the Austro-Hungarian border in Burgenland, has been sentenced to seven years in prison by the Eisenstadt Regional Court. A jury found him guilty of smuggling and fatal assault – but said he was not guilty of murder.
The Latvian admitted to transporting 30 refugees in his truck for up to eight hours without a break. The group were so tightly packed they were unable to sit down or stand up, as the truck measured just 1.40 m in height. They were not given food or water, and had started to run out of oxygen. The Krone reports one refugee described the trip, saying: “They invited us in there like animals. As if we weren't human.” It is not clear if the verdict is final, as the prosecutor has yet to give a statement.
Petition against compulsory Covid vaccination comes to Parliament
A petition against compulsory Covid-19 vaccination has made it into Austrian parliament, although the law has now been abolished. The petition gathered 242,169 signatures, meaning it has far surpassed the hurdle of 100,000 signatures to be considered by Parliament. A request for the resignation of the federal government, which drew signatures from 172,713 people must also now be dealt with in Austria’s National Council.
READ MORE:
- Austria to scrap mandatory covid vaccination law
- Universal income and vaccinations: What’s at stake in Austria’s petition week?
Swimming pools see large numbers of visitors
Vienna’s swimming pools are busy this summer due to the heatwave. The Krone reports visitor numbers are up 50 percent on the number of visitors in 2021. Despite the higher prices, 200,000 more people spent their time in municipal pools than in the same period in 2021. There have been queues over the weekend at the Laaerbergbad, and at Krapfenwaldbad.
READ MORE: Heatwave in Austria: Temperatures to top 36 degrees from Monday
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