Austria Introduces Now Also Travel Warning for Balearics

The Austrian government announced to implement a travel warning from August 24 onwards for the Balearic Islands Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Excluded from the warning are the Canary Islands.

From next week on it is then necessary to provide a negative PCR-test at the border or to self-quarantine at home until a negative PCR-test is submitted to the authorities.

Also, the border controls to Austria have to be intensified, according to Chancellor Kurz and therefore 500 police officers and 800 soldiers will be sent to the border to support the health authorities.

The number of infected people returning from their holidays is rising. In the last 9 days 262 infections could be traced back to returners and the average age of infected persons is 23,5 years, according to Anschober. Thus, he is appealing to young people to be more responsible and to be aware of the risk of infecting other people.

For Croatia returners it is still possible until Friday to get a free testing and more than 7,000 people have already used this opportunity. Many of the positive tested persons do not show any symptoms which shows the importance of the testing to slow down the spread of the disease.

Returners from the Balearics who are coming back before Sunday, August 23 have the possibility to get freely tested at the Vienna International Airport with their boarding pass as reference. All others, returning differently can call 1450 to receive a free test.

Minister Nehammer is also admonishing the Austrians to take responsibility while being on holiday. More than 20,000 persons are currently in quarantine and Nehammer is reminding that a violation of it can be fined up to 1,450 euros. If the violating person is infected, the violation is treated according to the criminal law.