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Corona in Austria: does the mask requirement fall before Easter?

In Austria, the number of corona infections is falling everywhere. The desire to return to normality is great. Will the FFP2 mask requirement fall before Easter?

Vienna – In Germany the masks are just down, in Austria FFP2 masks are still mandatory. This could change soon. Easter is coming and trade is rushing, as Austrian media reports. Shopping with a mask requirement slows down the mood to buy – and who wants to let the Easter business spoil them again after two years of the Corona * pandemic?

Shortly after the easing at the beginning of March, the corona numbers shot through the roof in the Alpine republic. The infection process accelerated due to the dominance of the more contagious omicron variant BA.2. According to Corona experts, the extensive abolition of the mask requirement also played a role. Austria then reintroduced the FFP2 mask requirement indoors on March 24. At that time, the 7-day incidence was around 3,400 – in Germany it was around 1,750 at the time.

“The openings were probably a bit too early, you have to say that frankly,” said epidemiologist Eva Schernhammer from the Medical University of Vienna on ORF (March 21). Reintroducing the FFP2 masks is a good and important step in view of the Corona cases. Since last week, the number of new infections has been leveling off at around 12,000. This Thursday, however, 16,479 positive corona tests were recorded. Apparently an outlier.

Austria: Corona forecast before Easter – incidence should be halved

“The number of cases is declining in all age groups,” says the latest report from the Covid Prognosis Consortium (April 5). “The forecast assumes that this downward trend will continue,” is the brief summary. In the next week to April 13, the panel expects a nationwide incidence in the range of 590 to 980. However, the range of the Austria forecast is large: In the event of poor development, the incidence could be over 1,300 or, in the best case, under 430.

7-day incidence in Austria on April 7, 2022 1,459.7 (last updated April 6)
new infections within a day 16,479
Deaths related to Corona 44

“The forecast of case development assumes that the measures taken will have a constant effect over time (i.e. there will be no sudden change in behavior during the forecast period) and that the test strategy will remain the same in all federal states,” the report reads. It will become clear next week before Easter at the latest whether the forecast will come true. In retrospect, the actual values were quite close.

Austria: Omicron wave overcome before Easter?

“I assume that we have now overcome the peak. After measures were reintroduced at the same time, the wave should now go down more quickly, ”predicted epidemiologist Eva Schernhammer according to oe24.at at the end of March. As a result of the measures, the wave should now quickly go down again. According to the epidemiologist, measures for two more weeks would help Austria to quickly return to a certain normality.

Wien, Austria - February 14, 2022: Fiaker mit Pferd in der Innenstadt. Wien Wien Austria

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With the Fiaker through Vienna: In Austria the Corona numbers are going down.

In view of the corona situation, is an FFP2 mask requirement appropriate? Calls for easing are getting louder, especially from retailers. Optimism flares up. “Shopping center boss: ‘Realistic case of mask requirement at Easter'” headlines the Austrian Kurier . Christoph Andexlinger, head of the 30 Spar European Shopping Centers (SES), does not want to miss out on the Easter business.

The Ministry of Health in Austria has so far been silent about possible relaxations and an end to the FFP2 mask requirement. But as you know, that can change quickly. However, there is also a downward trend in the corona numbers in Germany. So far, Germany has always been one step behind its neighboring country in the corona pandemic. Some corona experts expect the number of infections to rise again. Reason: The elimination of the FFP2 mask requirement would fuel the infection process. *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

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