Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Roadmap for end of Covid restrictions, Austria approves billions in new aid for businesses, kindness campaign at the airport and more news from Austria on Wednesday.
- Roadmap for end of Covid restrictions
The federal government will reportedly present the roadmap for the end of the Corona measures on Wednesday, Austrian media reported. A roadmap will specify which crisis measures will end or can be transferred to the regular healthcare system and when.
Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) had already announced mid-January that all Covid laws and regulations would be abolished this year.
Covid-19 would thus no longer be a notifiable disease, and the regulations were likely to fall in the first half of the year, the minister said at the time.
- Austria approves billions in new aid for businesses
With the votes of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the Greens, the National Council on Tuesday approved the further expansion of energy subsidies for companies, broadcaster ORF reported.
This year, eligible companies will receive an additional €3.5 billion to cushion higher costs which, added to 2022's aid, totals €7 billion. In addition, the measures include extending the current energy costs subsidy retroactively to the months of October, November and December 2022. A new subsidy will then be introduced in 2023.
The report added that details on how the subsidies will work are still being decided.
READ ALSO: How to get a €5,000 government subsidy to buy an electric car in Austria
- What's likely to change with radio and TV fees in Austria?
After a court ruling, the Austrian government needs to make changes to the public broadcaster's ORF funding fee, the GIS. Here are the three things that could happen and how they will affect you.
- The Danube Island to host the European Championship of Beach Volleyball
Who says a landlocked country cannot have beach volleyball? Austria for years has hosted the European Championship of Beach Volleyball, but now the event is once again coming to the Donauinsel, after two pandemic years where it was held in smaller venues.
The tournament will take place in Vienna from August 2nd to 6th.
- Austria chooses Eurovision contestants
The female power duo Teya & Selena were chosen to compete for Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, to take place in Liverpool. The song they will sing in May will only be revealed in March, but should be a fast pop song that the young women wrote together.
- Twelve people rescued after a ski accident in Tyrol
Together with two certified Austrian ski guides, eight skiers wanted to make a variant descent off-piste in the direction of Kaisers in St. Anton am Arlberg, in Tyrol. However, they encountered an impassable gully-like terrain, and at least two of them fell into it.
One of the skiers made an emergency call, and the injured man was flown to a hospital. After that, the group didn't want to proceed for fear of the steepness of the terrain and made another emergency call. Two rescuers were called to secure the persons with rope support before the rescue helicopter could finally bring all eleven down the mountain.
- Vienna airport starts 'kindness' campaign
As the aggressiveness of travellers is increasing, Vienna Airport is now appealing to passengers to be kind with several posters hung on location. Airport employees said that disrespectful behaviour does occur, especially during busy travel periods - most of the time, angry passengers display verbal expressions of displeasure.
In individual cases, however, employees have also been subjected to racist insults or, for example, banging on the glass pane of the counter. "Our employees always try to find solutions and offer support - but that doesn't justify disrespecting our staff", said Flughafen Wien CEO Julian Jäger.
Employees are prepared with training courses on conflict management and dealing with difficult situations, as well as their own support services. However, the trade union is calling for "stronger employee protection".
READ ALSO: ‘Bad-tempered locals’: Vienna ranked the world’s ‘unfriendliest city’
- Weather
Screenshot from ZAMG
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
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- Roadmap for end of Covid restrictions
The federal government will reportedly present the roadmap for the end of the Corona measures on Wednesday, Austrian media reported. A roadmap will specify which crisis measures will end or can be transferred to the regular healthcare system and when.
Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) had already announced mid-January that all Covid laws and regulations would be abolished this year.
Covid-19 would thus no longer be a notifiable disease, and the regulations were likely to fall in the first half of the year, the minister said at the time.
- Austria approves billions in new aid for businesses
With the votes of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the Greens, the National Council on Tuesday approved the further expansion of energy subsidies for companies, broadcaster ORF reported.
This year, eligible companies will receive an additional €3.5 billion to cushion higher costs which, added to 2022's aid, totals €7 billion. In addition, the measures include extending the current energy costs subsidy retroactively to the months of October, November and December 2022. A new subsidy will then be introduced in 2023.
The report added that details on how the subsidies will work are still being decided.
READ ALSO: How to get a €5,000 government subsidy to buy an electric car in Austria
- What's likely to change with radio and TV fees in Austria?
After a court ruling, the Austrian government needs to make changes to the public broadcaster's ORF funding fee, the GIS. Here are the three things that could happen and how they will affect you.
- The Danube Island to host the European Championship of Beach Volleyball
Who says a landlocked country cannot have beach volleyball? Austria for years has hosted the European Championship of Beach Volleyball, but now the event is once again coming to the Donauinsel, after two pandemic years where it was held in smaller venues.
The tournament will take place in Vienna from August 2nd to 6th.
- Austria chooses Eurovision contestants
The female power duo Teya & Selena were chosen to compete for Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, to take place in Liverpool. The song they will sing in May will only be revealed in March, but should be a fast pop song that the young women wrote together.
- Twelve people rescued after a ski accident in Tyrol
Together with two certified Austrian ski guides, eight skiers wanted to make a variant descent off-piste in the direction of Kaisers in St. Anton am Arlberg, in Tyrol. However, they encountered an impassable gully-like terrain, and at least two of them fell into it.
One of the skiers made an emergency call, and the injured man was flown to a hospital. After that, the group didn't want to proceed for fear of the steepness of the terrain and made another emergency call. Two rescuers were called to secure the persons with rope support before the rescue helicopter could finally bring all eleven down the mountain.
- Vienna airport starts 'kindness' campaign
As the aggressiveness of travellers is increasing, Vienna Airport is now appealing to passengers to be kind with several posters hung on location. Airport employees said that disrespectful behaviour does occur, especially during busy travel periods - most of the time, angry passengers display verbal expressions of displeasure.
In individual cases, however, employees have also been subjected to racist insults or, for example, banging on the glass pane of the counter. "Our employees always try to find solutions and offer support - but that doesn't justify disrespecting our staff", said Flughafen Wien CEO Julian Jäger.
Employees are prepared with training courses on conflict management and dealing with difficult situations, as well as their own support services. However, the trade union is calling for "stronger employee protection".
READ ALSO: ‘Bad-tempered locals’: Vienna ranked the world’s ‘unfriendliest city’
- Weather
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
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