Vorarlberg Eases Lockdown on March 15

The Austrian Ministry of Health has announced the controlled opening for the Austrian model region Vorarlberg.

Low numbers of Covid-19 infections allow for certain steps into the direction of normality.

Austria's Health Minister Rudolf Anschober and Vorarlberg's Governor Markus Wallner state:

"In the Vorarlberg model region, we are implementing the first controlled openings under the highest safety precautions and ongoing evaluation. All agreed prevention measures are strictly controlled. The project is being accompanied scientifically. It is gratifying that cultural events, meetings of self-help groups and openings in the area of sports for children and young people as well as for restaurants are already possible - thus we create opportunities for young people and an economic impulse in this difficult phase of the crisis."

The pilot project will start on March 15.

The measures will be continuously evaluated in terms of infection incidence and compliance with prevention concepts.

The basis for the opening steps is an expansion of tests to detect and segregate infected persons at an early stage.

Prevention concepts, 2-meter distance, FFP2 obligation, and registration obligation are central components of a cautious opening. Another basis is a strict and comprehensive contact tracing.

Negative test detection is a prerequisite for the use of the expanded range offered by the openings. In addition to antigen testing and PCR testing, self-testing is now being used.

A negative PCR test result allows will be valid for 72 hours, an antigen test will be valid for 48 hours and self-tests are valid for 24 hours.

The regular and frequent testing allows a close monitoring of infection incidence and thus an earlier detection of infection cases, which leads to an interruption of the infection chain in case of rapid isolation.

The opening steps include: extracurricular youth work, sports for children and adolescents up to 18 years of age, self-help, events and restaurants.

The following regulations apply to the respective areas:

Extracurricular youth work:

• Can take place indoors and outdoors
• Testing is mandatory for indoor activities
• Group size: maximum 10 people indoors, 20 outdoors
• Obligatory prevention concept
• Compulsory registration

Sports up to 18 years:

• Can take place indoors and outdoors
• Allowed sports without physical contact
• Compulsory testing if sport takes place indoors
• Group size: maximum 10 people indoors, 20 outdoors
• Mandatory prevention concept

Self-help group meetings:

• Can take place indoors and outdoors
• FFP2 mask obligation in closed rooms
• Minimum distance of 2 meters must be observed

Events:

• Only with assigned and designated seating
• Can take place indoors and outdoors
• Testing obligation for all events
• FFP2 obligation for all events
• The upper limit for visitors for events is 100 people and max. 50% occupancy
• Compulsory registration
• Obligatory prevention concept

Opening of restaurants:

• Antigen or PCR test required by authorities
• Possible in closed rooms and outdoors
• 2 meter distance between tables
• Per table max. 4 adults from max. 2 households plus underage children OR shared household
• No self-service
• Registration required