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COVID-19
EU Commissioner Breton and Kurz Discuss Vaccine Production
In a meeting in Vienna, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who is responsible for vaccine production, Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Minister for Economic Affairs Margarete Schramböck discussed the possibilities of Covid-19 vaccine production in the EU and talked about other issues evolving around the different Coronavirus vaccines.
March 9, 2021
Crisis in Yemen: "Humanitarian Aid is Vital for Survival"
In order to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the Austrian government has decided to provide EUR 3 million for the malnourished and diseased people from Yemen. The funds will be provided to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is currently working in Yemen to better the situation for the Yemeni population.
March 9, 2021
AstraZeneca Vaccine: Approval Also for Older People in Austria
Austria's National Immunization Panel (NIG) has decided to repeal its restrictions for the Covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca. Previously, the panel had only released the vaccine for people from 18 to 64-years old, because of the lack of data for efficiency among older people. Now, however, studies have shown that the vaccine can be used for all age groups.
March 8, 2021
Israel, Denmark and Austria Agree on Covid-19 Cooperation
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz agreed on establishing a joint research and development foundation as well as on vaccine production. Chancellor Kurz stressed the importance of global cooperation in the fight against Covid-19.
March 5, 2021
Online Pre-Travel Clearance for Austrian Borders Successful
Since January 15, 2021, the electronic pre-travel clearance for travelers who want to enter Austria has been used more than 700,000 times. Although analogous forms can be submitted in exceptional cases, the online pre-registration has taken over and saves a lot of resources, which can be used for contact tracing and other measures, according to Austria's Health Minister Rudolf Anschober.
March 4, 2021
Swiss President Visits Austria
The new Swiss President Guy Parmelin conducted his first trip abroad to meet with Austria's Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka in Vienna. The politicians discussed the Covid-19 situation in Europe, the Swiss relations with the EU and bilateral cooperation between Switzerland and Austria.
March 4, 2021
British Speaker of House of Commons Meets Sobotka
The Speaker of the House of Commons in the British Parliament, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, met virtually with his Austrian counterpart, National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka, to discuss the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic as well as other issues. The two politicians exchanged views and ideas on parliamentary security and the fight against anti-Semitism.
March 3, 2021
Austrian Minister for Economics Met German, Swiss and Liechtensteiner Counterpart
At the Quadrilateral Meeting between the Ministers of Economy from Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the topics comprised the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on national and international economies, global trade policy and digitalization in Europe's single market system.
March 3, 2021
Schallenberg at Central 5 Meeting in Slovenia
The Foreign Minister from Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria met in Brdo, Slovenia, to discuss the continuous cooperation in the Covid-19 pandemic, the he upcoming Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021, and EU accession of the Western Balkan states.
March 2, 2021
Covid-19 in Austria: Slight Easing of Regulations
The Austrian government has announced some new regulations with regard to the Covid-19 situation in Austria. The province of Vorarlberg will be facing relaxations of the current regulations as early as March 15, while the rest of the country will need to wait until the end of March and April for the opening of gastronomy and the cultural sector.
March 2, 2021
Austria's Culture Sector Met With German Scientists to Discuss Opening Steps
Austria's State Secretary for the Arts and Culture Andrea Mayer and other representatives of the arts industry met with the authors of two German studies which concluded "that the risk of infection in the theater, cinema, opera or concert hall is a calculable one".
March 1, 2021
Vienna Ice Dream Concludes Extraordinary Season
The 26th Vienna Ice Dream has closed its doors for this season. After 66 days of ice skating under special circumstances, the organizers are pleased about the results and are particularly delighted about the fact that there was not a single reported case of infection which happened on the venue.
March 1, 2021
Schramböck and Baldwin at International Research Conference
At the research conference hosted by the Research Center International Economics (FIW), Austria's Economics Minister Margarete Schramböck had the opportunity to take part in discussions with the star economist Richard Baldwin and a number of other important representatives of international economics research.
March 1, 2021
Distribution of Free Corona Self-Test in Austrian Pharmacies Starts: How It Works and Who Will Receive It
As of March 1, the free test offer will be gradually expanded with free self-tests in pharmacies. Up to five free tests are available per person per month. But not every person living in Austria is eligible to receive them. Following are the details.
March 1, 2021
WIFO Director Badelt Sees Climate Issue as "Biggest Problem for Austrian Economy"
The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) director Christoph Badelt emphasizes the need for public discussion of the current climate crisis and demands a "comprehensive transformation process" driven by Austria's Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler in order to battle the ongoing climate change.
February 26, 2021
WKO President Mahrer Demands Tourism Opening in March
At the so-called "opening summit" initiated by Austria's Federal Chamber of Commerce (WKO), the president of the WKO Harald Mahrer and other representatives of the affected businesses demand to open up the tourism and leisure industry. The currently successful model of entry tests for body-related services could be expanded to these industries as well, Mahrer emphasized.
February 26, 2021
Austria Continues to Invest In Bicycle Transportation
Austria's Ministry of Climate Protection continues to support the purchase of e-bicycles and transport bikes. Enterprises, associations and individuals will benefit from the increased subsidy amount and a reduction of value-added tax for bicycle repair services.
February 26, 2021
Kurz Demands Benefits for Covid-19 Vaccinated
In a video summit with other EU heads of states, Chancellor Kurz promotes a so-called "green passport", which would allow Covid-19 vaccinated, tested and recovered to have certain benefits. The opinions of the different EU countries vary and a consensus is yet to be found in this matter.
February 25, 2021
Free Covid-19 Take-Home Tests Start March 1
Starting from March 1, another Covid-19 test opportunity will be available for Austrians. Pharmacies will offer five free take-home antigen tests per person per week. In addition to the free tests conducted at more than 900 pharmacies, testing conducted at Austrian businesses, and various testing lanes, the take-home tests will be yet another opportunity of self-assessment.
February 25, 2021
Schallenberg Delighted About Delivery of Vaccinations to Ghana
The international COVAX initiative shows its first remarkable success. 600,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine by AstraZeneca were delivered to West Africa, specifically to Ghana. Austria's Foreign Minister, an active supporter of COVAX, emphasizes the importance of cooperation and solidarity in the fight against the pandemic.
February 25, 2021
Covid-19 in Austria: More Than 500,000 Vaccinations
Austria has already carried out more than 500,000 vaccinations against Covid-19, 200,000 people have already received their second immunization. In March, Austria's Health Minister Anschober expects delivery of more than one million doses. The second quarter of 2021 should provide Austria three times the delivery volume of the first quarter.
February 23, 2021
Vondráček, Kollár and Sobotka Discuss Covid-19 Measures
The head of parliaments from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria met virtually to discuss the current Covid-19 situations in the respective countries. Vondráček, Kollár and Sobotka agreed on good communication between the countries regarding border controls, but also talked about the EU accession process of the Western Balkan states.
February 22, 2021
Edtstadler in Berlin: Demand for Unified European Approach Against Pandemic
Some of Germany's top politicians met with Austria's Minister for European Affairs Karoline Edtstadler in Berlin in order to discuss the joint fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and strategies against anti-Semitism. All the exchanges led to the conclusion that it is paramount to create unified approaches for testing and vaccines.
February 22, 2021
Čaputovà and Van der Bellen Demand Sustainable Relaunch After Covid-19
The Slovak President Zuzana Čaputovà met Austria's Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen virtually in order to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic, Austrian aid to Slovakia and the climate crisis. Both head of states demand that the "relaunch of the economy in the EU must be sustainable" after the Covid-19 crisis.
February 19, 2021
Outdoor FFP2 Mask Obligation Possible
In a recent adaptation of the appropriate decree, Austria's Health Minister Rudolf Anschober implemented a possible FFP2 mask obligation order by local authorities for certain outdoor areas. According to the Health Minister, the face mask is an important factor in decreasing the spreading of the Covid-19 mutations - even in crowded outdoor areas.
February 18, 2021
New EU Trade Strategy: Schramböck Welcomes Proposal
Austria's Minister of Economics Margarete Schramböck welcomes the European Commission's document on a new EU trade strategy. The proposal incorporates various topics that will determine the EU's trade strategy for the next few years. Lessons learned from the Covid-19 crisis with regard to inner-European policy as well as international trade is accounted for in the proposition.
February 18, 2021
Austrians Show Decreased Approval for EU
In a recent survey published by the European Parliament, the EU loses approval in Austria. Almost half of the Austrians survey believe that the European Union moves in a completely wrong direction, while only 35 percent believe the opposite. Compared to the numbers from 2019, the EU is losing support in Austria.
February 18, 2021
Vienna International Airport: Passenger Decline Minus 90.5%
Vienna's airport, which is also known as Vienna International Airport (VIA) or Flughafen Wien, continues to suffer massively from the COVID 19 pandemic. The passenger decline that has been taking place since February 2020 has continued in the new year. The airport recorded a decline to just 198,295 travelers. Only cargo volumes remained stable.
February 18, 2021
Corona Short-Time Work in Austria Is Extended
Austria's Labor Minister Martin Kocher has announced a new phase for the so-called Corona Short-Time Work in Austria valid from April 1, 2021, to June 30, 2021. The conditions of the new phase are similar to the current regulations. The aim for after June is to gradually phase-out the short-time work where possible.
February 17, 2021
Austria's Economy Is Far Behind EU Average
According to the latest numbers issued by the EU's statistics office Eurostat, the gross domestic product of the EU fell by 0.6 percent in Q4 2020 compared to the third quarter of the same year. Austria, however, has performed the worst out of all EU member states and saw a GDP decline of 4.3 percent.
February 17, 2021
Austrian Initiative Receives Civil Society Solidarity Award
The Austrian initiative #EUROPAgegenCOVID19 has received the European Economic and Social Committee's (EESC) Civil Society Solidarity Award for its effort in the Covid-19 crisis. The non-profit organization focuses on debunking false theories and myths with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic.
February 16, 2021
WKO: Austria Needs to End Lockdown in March
After the recent announcement of Austria's federal government to have restaurants, hotels and the cultural sector closed until Easter, the heads of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce (WKO) demand opening steps for March. They emphasize that all the current tools, such as mass testing, entry tests and stricter distance rules, would allow a safe gradual opening of the currently closed sectors.
February 16, 2021
Germany Extends Entry Ban for Tyrol
The German government has decided to extend its entry ban for Tyrol until March 3, 2021. The German Health Minister Spahn sees this step as "necessary" in order to prevent the South African Covid-19 mutation from spreading in Germany. Austria's government and the EU Commission demand more coordination and dicussion.
February 16, 2021
Vienna International Airport: What Is the Current Situation and How Can I Take a Covid 19 Test?
Subsequently, you will find updated information from Vienna International Airport (Flughafen Wien) regarding the reduced flight offer (landing ban for flights from the UK, South Africa and Brazil), extended entry requirements, Covid-19 test possibilities directly at the airport, the new quarantine form, body temperature measurements and other important coronavirus safety measures.
February 16, 2021
Deadline for Austrian "Reemployment Promise" Gets Extended
To further support the hard hit Austrian economy, the Minister of Labor and Minister of Tourism have decided to extend the deadline for the so-called "reemployment promise". This allows employers to lay off their employees and agreeing to re-hire them, once the sector is allowed to open up again. The affected employees receives unemployment benefits without any placement activities by the Austrian Arbeitsmarktservice.
February 15, 2021
Covid-19 in Austria: Hotels And Restaurants Closed Until Easter
After easing the latest lockdown for the retail sector and schools in Austria on February 8, the opening of restaurants and the cultural and tourism sector was heavily discussed. However, Austria's government has announced that hotels, restaurants, cultural establishments and recreational facilities will remain closed until further notice.
February 15, 2021
Vienna - Salzburg: Frequent Intervals Will Be Maintained
The important rail connection between Vienna and Salzburg will keep having regular intervals due to an emergency award by the Austrian Ministry of Climate Protection. The ministry will continue to order trains from the Austrian Railways (ÖBB) and Westbahn in order to assure a frequent rail connection until April 7.
February 15, 2021
Austria's and EU's GDP Forecast Gives Hope
In the EU winter forecast for the level of economic output in the near future, Austria's and the whole Euro area's GDPs are said to grow by almost 4 percent in 2021 and 2022. Although the economies declined in the fourth quarter of 2020 and first quarter of 2021 due to the impact of the second wave, the economic outlook is still promising for the remainder of 2021 and 2022.
February 12, 2021
Austria's Youth Minister Speaks at UN's Social Development Council
At the 59th session of the UN Commission for Social Development, representatives of the various member countries discuss the topic of "Digitalization for Social Development". Austria's Youth Minister Susanne Raab highlighted the importance of children and young people during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in her speech.
February 12, 2021
Greek Foreign Minister Meets Edtstadler in Vienna
The Greek Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis and Austria's Minister for European Affairs Karoline Edtstadler met in Vienna to discuss the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Both ministers agreed that a uniform EU-wide vaccination certificate would be the key to mobility and travel within the European Union.
February 11, 2021
Tyrol: The Scare of the South African COVID-19 Mutation
Actually there is a strong occurrence of the threatening South African COVID-19 mutation in Tyrol. Strict controls on tests when leaving Tyrol and administrative fines of up to 1,450 euros are intended to limit the spread of this corona mutation after the new "COVID-19 virus variant regulation" comes into force on February 12, 2021.
February 10, 2021
WKO: Austria's Tourism Industry Needs Every Possible Help
The chairman of the division responsible for tourism in the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce, Robert Seeber, demands all possible help for the hard-hit Austrian tourism industry. Seeber emphasizes the need for urgent measures, so the tourism sector can once again "act as an economic locomotive and employment engine to boost the entire national economy."
February 10, 2021
Austria Takes Over Montenegrin Covid-19 Patient
Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg agreed to take over a Montenegrin Covid-19 patient who needs immediate intensive care. The patient has already been transfered to a hospital in Lower Austria, where he will receive intensive medical attention. This is the third time that Austria is helping Montenegro with the treatment of Covid-19 cases.
February 10, 2021
"Austria Endangers Germany's Successes with its Irresponsible Policy of Opening Up". Closed Borders Soon?
The opening policy and the pandemic in Austria, and especially in Tyrol makes Bavarian politicians nervous. The increased risk of infection from the British and South African mutation of the coronavirus has reignited the border security debate in the German state of Bavaria. Bavaria is therefore tightening its tone toward Austria, reinforcing border controls and threatening to close the border altogether.
February 9, 2021
Finnish Speaker of Parliament Met Sobotka
Anu Vehviläinen, the Finnish Speaker of Parliament since June 2020, and Wolfgang Sobotka, Austria's National Council President, met for the first time and discussed current issues, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, security of parliaments, the IPU World Conference and the accession negotiations with the Western Balkans.
February 9, 2021
After Travel Warning: Further Restrictions for Tyrol
Austria's federal government has decided to further tighten the measures for the province of Tyrol, excluding East Tyrol. After announcing a non-binding travel warning, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has now implemented tougher measures that will try to prevent the South African Covid-19 mutation from spreading to the rest of the country.
February 9, 2021
Coronavirus in Austria: What Are the New Rules?
As of February 8, the Austrian COVID-19 measures have been relaxed again. The exit restrictions apply again only from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. However, there are still contact restrictions. Retailers, schools and museums are allowed to open again, although only under stricter conditions. Body-related service providers such as hairdressers are also allowed to offer their services again, but only on presentation of a negative PCR or antigen test result.
February 9, 2021
Austrian Government Warns of Travel to Tyrol
Due to the latest information on the South African Covid-19 mutation in Tyrol, the federal government has issued a travel warning for the province. All non-essential travel should be avoided and the government urges those who have been to Tyrol in the past two weeks to get tested.
February 8, 2021
Slovenia's Foreign Minister and State Secretary Met Edtstadler
Slovenia's Foreign Minister Anže Logar and State Secretary Gasper Dovžan met with Austria's Minister for European Affairs Karoline Edtstadler in Ljubljana to discuss about a possible European vaccination certificate, EU enlargement and about the future of the European Union.
February 8, 2021
Free Coronavirus Antigen Tests in Austria's Pharmacies: How Does It Work and Where Are You Getting Them?
Approximately 450 Austrian pharmacies are now offering free coronavirus antigen tests. Following is how it works and a list of all participating pharmacies.
February 8, 2021
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