Today in Austria: A round-up of the latest news on Wednesday
Find out what's going on in Austria today with The Local's short round-up of the news.
Vaccinations start for teachers
The coronavirus vaccination for teachers, after-school care and kindergarten staff starts today in Vienna.
In the next three weeks, a total of around 35,000 people from this area will receive their first vaccination.
The large-scale campaign will be carried out in the Austria Center in Vienna.
Germany criticises Austria's coronavirus lockdown decision
The German health expert Karl Lauterbach has criticised Austria’s decision to open while experiencing an increase in infections with the British variant of the coronavirus.
Explained: Everything you need to know about Austria’s plan to ease lockdown
Lauterbach tweeted “Austria loosens into the B117 wave. Many there will pay for that with their lives.” He predicts there will be another lockdown, and says Austria does not provide an example for Germany.
Österreich lockert in die B117 Welle hinein. Das werden dort viele mit dem Leben bezahlen, wenn man es ehrlich beschreiben darf. Zum Schluss wird dann wieder ein Lockdown kommen, für den sich die Verstorbenen nichts kaufen können... Kein Beispiel für uns pic.twitter.com/sv1ELXQeAk
— Prof. Karl Lauterbach (@Karl_Lauterbach) March 2, 2021
Coronavirus infections decline slightly in Austria
The 7-day incidence, or number of new infections with the coronavirus in the past seven days per 100,000 inhabitants, has fallen slightly.
According to the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), it was 160.6 on Tuesday. The number is highest in Salzburg (202.5) and Lower Austria (196.4).
The value is still lowest in Vorarlberg (74) and Tyrol (99).
Almost 500,000 unemployed in Austria
In Austria currently 490,000 people are unemployed or in AMS training courses, according to Wiener Zeitung .
At the weekend it was calculated that the openings in retail three weeks ago brought around 120,000 people out of unemployment and short-time work back into full employment, according to Labour Minister Kocher.
Can Austria really produce its own vaccines?
Austria's Wiener Zeitung newspaper investigated Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s decision to work with Israel and Denmark on future vaccine production, finding that Austria has hardly any domestic production capacity.
The production of Covid-19 vaccines is complex.
For example the active ingredient for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine is produced in Germany, but then packaged in Austria before being bottled in Belgium.
Good news in retirement homes
The number of new corona infections in old people's homes fell by almost 90% between December and February according to Der Standard.
People living in old people's and nursing homes in Austria are now almost completely vaccinated.
This week a decision will be made on the relaxation of visiting rules in old people's and nursing homes.
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Vaccinations start for teachers
The coronavirus vaccination for teachers, after-school care and kindergarten staff starts today in Vienna.
In the next three weeks, a total of around 35,000 people from this area will receive their first vaccination.
The large-scale campaign will be carried out in the Austria Center in Vienna.
Germany criticises Austria's coronavirus lockdown decision
The German health expert Karl Lauterbach has criticised Austria’s decision to open while experiencing an increase in infections with the British variant of the coronavirus.
Explained: Everything you need to know about Austria’s plan to ease lockdown
Lauterbach tweeted “Austria loosens into the B117 wave. Many there will pay for that with their lives.” He predicts there will be another lockdown, and says Austria does not provide an example for Germany.
Österreich lockert in die B117 Welle hinein. Das werden dort viele mit dem Leben bezahlen, wenn man es ehrlich beschreiben darf. Zum Schluss wird dann wieder ein Lockdown kommen, für den sich die Verstorbenen nichts kaufen können... Kein Beispiel für uns pic.twitter.com/sv1ELXQeAk
— Prof. Karl Lauterbach (@Karl_Lauterbach) March 2, 2021
Coronavirus infections decline slightly in Austria
The 7-day incidence, or number of new infections with the coronavirus in the past seven days per 100,000 inhabitants, has fallen slightly.
According to the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), it was 160.6 on Tuesday. The number is highest in Salzburg (202.5) and Lower Austria (196.4).
The value is still lowest in Vorarlberg (74) and Tyrol (99).
Almost 500,000 unemployed in Austria
In Austria currently 490,000 people are unemployed or in AMS training courses, according to Wiener Zeitung .
At the weekend it was calculated that the openings in retail three weeks ago brought around 120,000 people out of unemployment and short-time work back into full employment, according to Labour Minister Kocher.
Can Austria really produce its own vaccines?
Austria's Wiener Zeitung newspaper investigated Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s decision to work with Israel and Denmark on future vaccine production, finding that Austria has hardly any domestic production capacity.
The production of Covid-19 vaccines is complex.
For example the active ingredient for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine is produced in Germany, but then packaged in Austria before being bottled in Belgium.
Good news in retirement homes
The number of new corona infections in old people's homes fell by almost 90% between December and February according to Der Standard.
People living in old people's and nursing homes in Austria are now almost completely vaccinated.
This week a decision will be made on the relaxation of visiting rules in old people's and nursing homes.
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