The federal government only wants to set the minimum standards, according to Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP). The right of the countries to stricter measures or later openings remains upright and makes sense. The fundamental question of the opening has already been decided by the state governors, it said on Tuesday: On December 12, the lockdown will end for everyone, and the restrictions will continue to apply to those who have not been vaccinated.
The Chancellor announced, however, that the opening would be as careful as possible.
Von Laer: The situation varies from region to region
The Innsbruck virologist Dorothee von Laer said on Tuesday that in view of large regional differences, it is advisable to extend the lockdown for vaccinated people in the western federal states by one week. Von Laer, on the other hand, welcomed the fact that trade, catering and the hotel industry in the east should open up with “accompanying measures”. In general, however, the situation in all federal states is developing “in the right direction”. Because some regions “lagged” from the start, the western federal states are still “far away” from the “reasonable level”, i.e. a 7-day incidence below 300 – more on this in tirol.ORF.at.
Lockdown summit: tug-of-war over openings
The fourth general lockdown will end this weekend. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) and Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) announced this on Tuesday. The government will discuss how to proceed afterwards on Wednesday morning.
Upper Austria will remain in lockdown until December 17th
In any case, Upper Austria will remain in lockdown longer than in the rest of Austria. All measures apply there until December 17th. In view of the opening announcement by Nehammer, calls for an earlier lockdown end are also louder in Upper Austria, but Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) rejected these requests on Tuesday. The numbers from the hospitals for Upper Austria would not yet provide that.
In Upper Austrian retail there is now fear of falling over completely during the Christmas business because customers would switch to neighboring federal states – more on this in ooe.ORF.at.
Gastronomy and hotel business in Vienna closed longer
The mayor of Vienna said in a press conference that the federal capital would be opened carefully. Commerce, culture, sport “and similar gatherings” are expected to reopen on December 13th. Gastronomy and hotel business are not due to reopen until December 20, also accompanied by extensive security measures.
Christmas markets are to open for sale again from December 13th, but the food and beverage stands are only allowed to offer take-away food and drinks – more on this in wien.ORF.at.
This decision caused a lack of understanding in Viennese gastronomy on Tuesday. The season is over, says Peter Dobcak, chairman of the gastronomy group at the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. In the club and disco scene there is “still a lack of prospects” – more on this in wien.ORF.at.
Lockdown end fixed: details still open
Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) announced the end of the general lockdown on December 12th. The restrictions should remain in place for unvaccinated people. The further details and safety requirements are to be decided at a summit with experts and the state governors on Wednesday. Regional differences are possible, according to Nehammer. Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) has already mentioned key points.
Carinthia is also considering stricter rules
As in Vienna, stricter measures are also in place in Carinthia. “Once the decision has been made in Vienna, I will talk to the members of the government and the representatives of the social partners on my way home,” said Governor Peter Kaiser (SPÖ) in a press conference on Tuesday. Then on Thursday the coordination committee will discuss “Carinthian-specific measures, if they are necessary” with experts from the health sector.
What the federal government stipulates is always the “bottom edge”, which “we can only overrule with stricter measures”. Kaiser said he could imagine 2-G and FFP2 masks in restaurants and hotels – more on this in kaernten.ORF.at.
Platter for openings in all industries
Recently there had been doubts as to whether, in view of the still considerable hospital occupancy, all closed branches should actually be reopened. The Tyrolean Governor Günther Platter (ÖVP) had requested that, but the Styrian Governor Hermann Schützenhöfer (ÖVP), for example, had advocated a cautious approach – more on this in steiermark.ORF.at.
The Burgenland Governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) also considers a controlled opening of trade, tourism and gastronomy to be justifiable. Both the economy and the population need a clear, predictable perspective, which should also take regionally different developments into account – more on this in burgenland.ORF.at.
According to the governor of Vorarlberg, Markus Wallner (ÖVP), a “clear trend reversal” is visible in the infection situation in Vorarlberg. Even if the situation is currently still very tense, he assumes “that we have exceeded the peak in infection numbers” – more on this in vorarlberg.ORF.at.
Discussions on “how” to end the lockdown
The situation in the intensive care units remains tense, but the number of new infections is slowly falling. The federal states are therefore discussing how the lockdown could be ended next week.
The situation in hospitals remains tense
The Lower Austrian provincial government said on Monday that the hospitals could not give the all-clear. The traffic light commission had advertised last week for “careful opening steps”.
The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Harald Mahrer, found it “natural”, despite the reference to the extremely high numbers at the intensive care units in the Ö1 morning journal, to demand that all sectors be opened after the end of the lockdown. In comparable countries like Switzerland, normal business with security restrictions is now being pursued.
In the catering industry, restrictions are expected after the lockdown has ended. The Tyrolean industry representative in the Chamber of Commerce rejects a 2-G-Plus rule. One reckons with restrictions, such as a larger distance between the tables and a reduction in the number of guests. Mandatory tests, even for vaccinated people, are not practical – more on this in tirol.ORF.at.
NEOS for opening with 2-G, FPÖ criticizes Nehammer
NEOS calls for retail, gastronomy, hotel and other facilities to be opened up after the weekend using the 2-G rule. Party leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger said at a press conference on Tuesday that all of these areas have long had the corresponding concepts in the drawer.
FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl attacked the new Federal Chancellor sharply in a broadcast after the press conference. Nehammer did not understand “that one cannot speak of overcoming the split if one simultaneously maintains the lockdown for unvaccinated persons and the plan to make vaccinations compulsory”. An appointment for the conversation with Nehammer has also already been agreed: “Obviously, the Chancellor missed the fact that this appointment already exists.”