The government decided on Friday evening to tighten the corona measures, which are aimed primarily at unvaccinated people. As soon as 500 intensive care beds are occupied by corona patients, many areas, such as the catering trade, may only be vaccinated or recovered (“2G” rule). If more than 600 beds are occupied, there will be “exit restrictions” for those who have not been vaccinated, the government announced after a meeting with the state governors. For the time being, the corona tests will remain free.
With the new measures, the government is adapting the “step-by-step plan”, which has been in place since mid-September, by adding two more steps. It is primarily aimed at the unvaccinated – with the exception of the non-vaccinable population, currently children under 12 years of age.
The new phase 4 of the plan provides for a 2G rule in all those areas in which the 2.5G rule (vaccinated, recovered, PCR-tested) was previously used (in stage 3). If the mark of 500 occupied intensive care beds (25 percent of the intensive care capacity) is exceeded, unvaccinated persons will be denied entry to areas such as restaurants and hotels. This also applies if a negative test is presented – regardless of whether it is antigen or PCR. Events, cultural institutions, leisure facilities or sporting events are also likely to be affected. According to the Ministry of Health, details are still being worked out – and fixed in a regulation by Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens).
If the intensive care unit occupancy exceeds 600 beds (or 30 percent), then phase 5 comes. According to Mückstein, this brings “exit restrictions” for unvaccinated people – i.e. the lockdown known from earlier pandemic phases. This would mean that the “exclusively tested” would only be allowed to leave their own private living area for a few exceptional reasons, for example for basic supplies such as shopping or to go to work, according to Mückstein.
Federal Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) said that the “pandemic is not yet visible in our rear-view mirror. We are on the verge of stumbling into a pandemic of the unvaccinated without need,” this should be prevented. The Chancellor ruled out a lockdown for those who had been vaccinated or recovered. “The decisions we made today have no effect on those who have been vaccinated.” It must be clear to all unvaccinated people that “there is great responsibility on their shoulders,” he referred to the occupancy of the intensive care units, which also has an impact on other patients apart from Corona. “As Federal Chancellor, I will not allow the health system to be overloaded because we still have too many hesitants and procrastinators.”
The intensive care units with corona patients currently have more than 220 beds – that is around eleven percent of the total capacity. A mark of 33 percent is considered “critical”, i.e. just above the threshold specified for phase 5. Mückstein emphasized that everything would be done not to get near this critical mark. “The new steps mainly affect people without vaccination,” he said. “We will differentiate between the protected and the tested.” Like Schallenberg, he appealed to everyone to get vaccinated. “There is an alternative to the levels and restrictions just described: vaccination.”
Levels 1 to 3, which were introduced in September, remain in place. Level 1 (from 200 occupied beds) has been in force since September 15. This brought the FFP2 obligation in many areas (e.g. in supermarkets and other grocery stores, in pharmacies, tobacconists and in public transport).
Stage two comes into effect seven days after an ICU occupancy rate of 15 percent (300 beds) has been exceeded. Looking at the forecasts, Mückstein expects that this mark will be reached soon. For night gastronomy (and “similar settings”) this would bring a 2G rule – also for events without assigned seats with more than 500 people. In addition, the antigen tests with self-acceptance (“living room tests”) are no longer valid as evidence for 3G areas.
If there is a utilization of 20 percent of the capacity (400 beds), then level 3 comes into force – and unlike previously planned, not after a further seven days, but immediately. In areas with 3G, the antigen test then loses its validity entirely. This means that only those who have been vaccinated, those who have recovered or who have a current PCR test would have access to restaurants and the like.
Regarding the often discussed question of the further availability of free corona tests, the Ministry of Health said on Friday evening at the APA request that an ongoing evaluation of all measures would of course continue to take place and future adjustments would be “possible at any time”. For “the near future”, however, a continuation of the free tests is planned.
Critical voices from the countries were also raised during the meeting. According to reports, the Styrian Governor Hermann Schützenhöfer (ÖVP) urged speed and made the federal government responsible, as it had declared the pandemic to be over before the summer. He wants to introduce 2G on a broad basis as quickly as possible and in line with the FFP2 mask requirement that has long been in force in Vienna in all shops (not just for basic providers). After the meeting, Carinthia’s governor Peter Kaiser (SPÖ) gave a positive outlook: The vaccination for children from five to eleven will probably be approved in November.
Sharp criticism of the plans expressed in the evening FPÖ chairman Herbert Kickl. “The federal government is at the end of its line. Now it is starting a desperate attack on the population by preparing protective custody for unvaccinated people,” he said in a written statement to the APA. “This is a step that reminds us of the darkest chapters of our history. The threat of deprivation of liberty is intended to blackmail people into the vaccination issue,” he said. “What we see here is a government in the corruption corner that is obviously going nuts.”