Covid-19 in Austria: Regional Restrictions Are Expected

Lifestyle & TravelHealth ♦ Published: March 23, 2021; 10:20 ♦ (Vindobona)

Although no concrete measures were announced at the press conference on Monday, March 22, the Austrian government gave hints as to where the situation in Austria might be going. Regional restrictions are expected for the provinces and districts with high 7-day incidences, especially for the provinces Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland.

Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (right) and Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (right) have postponed the decision about loosening or tightening the current lockdown. / Picture: © Bundeskanzleramt (BKA) / Christoper Dunker

The Austrian government has decided to postpone the decision about loosening or tightening the current lockdown.

Despite growing Covid-19 infection numbers and an increase of hospitalized people, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Health Minister Rudolf Anschober have only announced to further observe the situation and hold talks with province governors about regional relaxations and restrictions.

However, for the regions of Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland, there will be an special summit, in which regional measures will be discussed with the Ministry of Health.

Due to particularly high 7-day incidences in these regions, further restricitions are expected to be put in place.

In other provinces, the current path will be continued without relaxations, but also without tightening.

Furthermore, the government has decided to implement tailored measures between the respective province and the Ministry of Health, if a district reaches the 7-day incidence of 400.

Additionally, in the future not only the incidence value will be used to assess the situation, but above all the utilization rate in the intensive care units and the vaccination coverage rate of the over-50s.

With regard to relaxations of the current lockdown, the Austrian government has decided to discuss opening steps for after Easter provided that the trend in intensive care units remains stable and does not worsen.