COVID-19: While some Cities are Taking Drastic Measures, Vienna is Watching
The WHO strongly urges that the containment of the virus be recognized as the most important means of control and that appropriate measures be taken. However, the City of Vienna decides not to take containment measures at events, because the situation "does not justify official measures".
Vienna celebrates and watches while the world acts. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / leonhard.konitsch [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
China has used the example of Wuhan to demonstrate what needs to be done to save the lives of millions of people.
The drastic measures taken by China have been proven to have had an effect, slowing and curbing the spread of the disease not only at home, but worldwide.
This has given the world a head start, which many countries and cities around the world are now failing to realise, but are gambling away by hesitant waiting.
This is also the case for the City of Vienna, where the crisis management team decided that "no official restrictions of any kind" are necessary in the field of events.
In concrete terms, the City of Vienna lets it be known "that today the medical crisis committee of the City of Vienna has dealt with the question of many organisers of congresses, conferences, sports events, etc., as to whether official restrictions are necessary, and on the basis of the consultations in the medical crisis committee it was decided not to impose official restrictions of any kind."
"The current epidemiological situation concerning the spread of the corona virus in Vienna and the surrounding area does not justify official measures to restrict events of any kind." the city confirms in a statement.
"However, it is recommended that participants of events who travel from affected regions either directly or in the course of the past two weeks should be asked to avoid participating in the event - at least in case of the first flu-like symptoms." the City continues to state.
In view of the facts now known about the incubation period, the routes of infection and the recommended infection prevention measures (such as protective masks, distance and hygiene), the city's decision not to take corrective action must be classified as simply gross negligence, as it plays on the health of the population and the risk of a pandemic.