The corona numbers in Austria are increasing, the intensive care units have not yet been overloaded. The location there will determine a possible lockdown.
Vienna – While the corona numbers are rising significantly in Austria, eyes are on the intensive care units in hospitals. Because ultimately the situation there will decide whether there should be a lockdown for unvaccinated people. The threat of a lockdown for unvaccinated people is intended to increase willingness in the country for a protective injection with a corona vaccine.
From 600 intensive care beds occupied by Covid patients, this group is no longer allowed to take to the streets without good reason, according to the government’s new step-by-step plan. She is not allowed to visit bars, cultural and sporting events or the use of hotels for more than 500 intensive care beds. There are still too many “hesitants and procrastinators,” said Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg, referring to the vaccination skeptics.
Those who have recovered are on an equal footing with those who have been vaccinated for up to six months after the illness. The threshold of 600 has so far been reached twice in the pandemic, according to the newspaper Kurier.
Corona in Austria: Numbers are increasing significantly, the incidence is now 255
Meanwhile, the trend towards significantly increasing corona numbers continues. Within 24 hours, 3624 new infections were counted, as the Interior and Health Ministry reported on Sunday. That is 60 percent more than a week earlier. The seven-day incidence per 100,000 population climbed to 255. At the same time, the situation in the hospitals remained stable. Around 220 people are in the intensive care units, which is the same as a week ago. The rate of fully vaccinated people is 62 percent and thus probably only slightly below the German level – at least according to the current status of the still controversial actual vaccination rate in Germany.
“We are about to stumble into a pandemic of unprotected unvaccinated people,” said Schallenberg. Schallenberg ruled out a lockdown for those who had been vaccinated or recovered. He hoped that these plans would send a signal. The right-wing FPÖ sharply criticized the project. The liberal Neos said the government had held on for too long that corona tests were available free of charge.
Austria counteracts Corona with a 5-step plan: “We are currently at step one”
The step-by-step plan has five thresholds. “We are currently at level one, we are looking very far into the future,” said Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein. 600 beds correspond to around 30 percent utilization of the intensive capacities. Mückstein told the Kronen Zeitung that he hoped that the 3G rule in the workplace, which came into force from November 1st, would lead to an increase in the vaccination rate. Many employees have to prove shortly whether they have been vaccinated, regularly tested or have recovered from Covid-19.
The great dynamic in vaccinations in early summer had weakened extremely in the last few weeks. On some days, only a few thousand doses of corona vaccines were injected. The right-wing FPÖ fueled the vaccination skepticism considerably. In the most recent state parliament election in Upper Austria, the new vaccination critic party MFG (people, freedom, basic rights) immediately reached six percent and thus entered the state parliament. (dpa / na)
