Covid in Austria: Up to 32,000 New Cases Forecasted per Day
Experts are forecasting a stark increase in the number of COVID-19 infections in Austria in the coming weeks. Read more about the current COVID-19 situation in Austria.
86.1 percent of patients in Viennese ICUs have no vaccination certificate. / Picture: © Bundeskanzleramt (BKA) / Dragan Tatic
According to experts, the previous record of over 17,000 new infections with the coronavirus is likely to be significantly exceeded in the coming days.
In their current assessment, the experts at the COVID forecast consortium assume that up to 30,000 new cases per day could soon be reached.
According to the forecast consortium, the daily number of cases will probably be above 20,000 in the next few weeks at the latest.
The group of experts asserts that, on January 19, they will almost certainly be above that.
The forecast consortium assumes the mean value for Wednesday of next week will be 24,000 new infections within 24 hours. The upper limit even appears to be 32,000 new cases in the forecast.
That would almost double the number of cases within a week. With its last calculation, the consortium hit the calculated upper limit almost precisely in the previous week–the 17,000 that has now been reached.
Compulsory vaccination creates 133,000 additional court cases in next three years
From their point of view, the judiciary will have to deal with an "unbelievable amount of work" as a result of compulsory vaccination. Sabine Matejka, president of the Association of Austrian Judges, expects that it will not be possible to cope with this without corresponding increases.
According to the ORF, “It affects not only the administrative courts but also the highest courts. The Constitutional Court (VfGH) and the Administrative Court (VwGH) each expected about 13,000 more cases, they say. They are calling for additional budgetary resources in the review of the Compulsory Vaccination Act.”
The draft of the law assumes a total of 133,000 additional court cases from 2022 to 2024.
As the ORF reports, “The government estimates the additional costs for this year at around € 112.5 million (€ 83.3 million of which for personnel) and € 33.2 and € 3.6 million in subsequent years.
Several federal states and administrative courts have stated in the evaluation that they expect a significantly higher workload and thus higher costs.
The judiciary had already recently called for more staff to cope with the expected wave of complaints and proceedings due to the vaccination obligation coming into force in February.
86.1% of patients in Viennese ICUs have no vaccination certificate
According to the ORF, “Of the 72 COVID-19 patients who were treated in intensive care units in Vienna at the beginning of the week, only ten were fully vaccinated.”
In contrast, 62 people, or 86.1 percent, were either not immunized at all or not sufficiently immunized.