Coronavirus: Vienna Law Firm Tests Three Employees Positive

On Thursday, February 27, 2020, the law firm was informed about the coronavirus illness of one of its members.

As reported, about 3 weeks ago - the only seriously ill patient in Austria - a 72-year-old lawyer was infected with the virus and is now accommodated in the Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Spital.

"We immediately initiated all necessary steps to protect employees, clients, courts and business partners on the basis of an action plan", the law firm stated in a mailing.

"These measures include:

• the establishment of a crisis management team,
• immediate contact and ongoing close coordination with the health authorities AGES (Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety) and MA 15,
• the testing of all Wolf Theiss employees in Vienna,
• the establishment of a medical hotline to a leading infectiologist"

The law firm states, "that the virus test started within 24 hours after our partner's illness became known. We conducted it on our own initiative and at our own expense in order to obtain certainty."

The test was carried out by a German virological institute.

"Last Friday, in a first wave of testing, over 200 employees were tested, and this Monday an additional 80 employees were tested."

Of the people tested so far, over 200 have tested negative and three positive.

These three employees showed no symptoms of illness and were immediately placed in domestic quarantine. They are currently undergoing an official confirmatory test.

"Those employees whose results are expected in due course are in the home office and will avoid contact with employees, clients and courts until the results are available," Wolf Theiss continued.

"The positive side effect of the tests is that "due to the immediate continuous testing of our employees, it is ensured that client, court and employee contacts are only made by employees who have tested negative".