Finance

The number of Covid 19 patients in Austria's intensive care units has increased by more than 23 percent within two weeks. That is a significantly stronger increase than the number of infected hospital patients overall with an increase of almost eleven percent. The Society for Anaesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine (ÖGARI) spoke on Monday of a “worrying increase”. The dominance of the British mutation “undoubtedly plays an important role”.

Image: APA (Fohringer)

“The significantly easier transferability from person to person and the higher number of reproductions of this variant has meanwhile been comprehensively proven by scientific evidence. And an increase in infections naturally also leads to greater stress in the intensive care units,” reported ÖGARI President Klaus Markstaller from MedUni Vienna / AKH in one broadcast.

“The situation is becoming much more tense again, even if the strength of the region varies,” explained Markstaller. “If the current trend continues, we will very quickly be back to the point where we have to switch even more strongly to crisis mode: For example, intensive care capacities have to be freed up by postponing planned operations.”

In the “Nacht-ZiB” of ORF television, Markstaller said on Monday evening that the situation was dramatic because “even without Covid”, in principle, all intensive care beds would be occupied. “Ten percent of all beds, that's 200, because there are 2,000 in Austria, we can compensate because there is always a certain buffer capacity, but in principle we need every intensive care bed, and if it is now around 300 and the forecasts point towards 400, then it is dramatic because then we cannot adequately care for other patients. “

Nobody will be sent away, said Markstaller in the ZiB conversation, “but we are actually beginning to postpone certain operations and certain treatments, although we were just in the process of processing them, which had to be postponed from the second wave.” At the moment it feels like “a third wave is building up now”. Vaccinations are certainly “the best way”, but what has been achieved so far does not yet have any effect on intensive care medicine. Markstaller recalled that so far in Austria it was mainly risk groups, the “very old” who had been vaccinated. “These are not primarily the patients who would have come to intensive care units.”

“We are now prepared for all scenarios and eventualities in the intensive care departments. But the intensive care medicine is, figuratively speaking, the last field in this game,” emphasized Markstaller in the broadcast. “The game-critical accents for the course of the pandemic are set beforehand: through vaccinations, the well-known prophylaxis measures and the development of new treatment options. Here everyone has an influence on the further course. Unfortunately, the virus is not based on a possible 'pandemic fatigue' . “

In the longer term, it is not enough that only extreme stress is averted, but it is necessary to be able to switch back from crisis mode in the direction of largely normal care in the intensive care units. Marksteller also called for better data. “In order to be able to interpret the numbers of intensive care beds occupied by people with severe Covid-19 courses appropriately, a uniform and clear definition is required.” Currently, it cannot be ruled out that there will be different ways of counting Covid 19 intensive care patients; For example, whether the admission diagnosis Covid-19 is relevant for the assignment or the current status of the infectiousness.

Meanwhile, Andreas Bergthaler from the Research Center for Molecular Medicine (CeMM) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) called for proactive crisis management and more basic research in all disciplines on Twitter. “This week's figures will show that instead of openings, targeted additional measures against the third wave are needed,” wrote the virologist. He called for a budget increase of 50 percent for the FWF Science Fund. That would be around 120 million euros, said Bergthaler.

Blogger “Miss Order” explains how to put an end to the chaos in the home office.

“When too many things dominate our homes and minds, our time in our own homes can be stressful. Anyone who knows simple routines and establishes them in their lives creates a good basis for creating a quiet retreat every day, “says Denise Colquhoun, alias Miss Order, promisingly in her new book.” Home office. Work better, more freely live ”comes at the right time. Where half the planet threatens to sink into cozy homeschooling and home office, the promise of an easier, freer life sounds like the prospect of a life in the land of milk and honey.

At the beginning there is clearing out and creating general order . Say, remove all distractions. In a Marie Kondo-like environment, it is easier to focus your thoughts. After all, who wouldn't be called by the mountain of laundry before they meet the deadline for a submission? The author knows that everyday life can be better structured through routines.

For all free spirits, she recommends at least taking up small daily routines, such as the first coffee at 7:15 a.m. or making beds. There are also various people who are practiced at home from different professions and who share their personal experiences and tips. In addition to furnishing tricks for the home office, topics such as maintaining networks or digital order are not neglected. Yes, even a tidy desktop supports performance at home.

Mindfulness and breaks are just as important for a successful day-to-day work in your own four walls. Those who plan their work and leisure time consciously will not sit with their laptop at dinner. If you also want to know how to organize your head and what brain dumping means, you will definitely find it here.

Designer Cristina Celestino plays with contrasts and brings an idea by Matisse to life with ease.

Time and again, the art of bygone times is the inspiration for today's design. In cooperation with Maison Matisse, Cristina Celestino was inspired by the legendary still life “Intérieur aux aubergines” (1911) by Henri Matisse. The Colette sofa takes up the idea of juxtaposition. Celestino plays with contrasts – not only between inside and outside, but also between empty and full, old and new. In this specific case, the geometric shapes of the rattan frame meet the organic patterns of the pompous upholstery. A perfect reminiscence of the artist's work. The removable cover is made from original yarns from the 18th century and is as sustainable as possible.

With her own furniture label Attico, the Italian designer Cristina Celestino stands for subtle reinterpretations of classic design objects. In her numerous collaborations with international establishments, the Venetian places particular emphasis on dealing with history. Based on Matisse's works, Celestino also wants to give her objects the value: to be valued, preserved and passed on from generation to generation. The handmade sofa costs 9,850 euros and is available from maison-matisse.com.

Leaflet, Billa

When the “Merkur” brand changes to “Billa Plus” from April, the popular leaflet will also get “Plus” benefits.

Everything is new – April. In addition to a new name (“Billa Plus”) and a new organic brand, stores originally planned as “Merkur” will also be given a new color and packaging in the future. Employee clothing will also change. The principle remains the same, green parts turn yellow as with Billa. Also new: the popular Billa leaflet.

Depending on customer needs and region, Billa and Billa Plus will in future meet specific requests with tailor-made offers and formats, such as individual shop-in-shop concepts with partners from the catering industry or toy and electronics retailers. In doing so, Rewe relies on a “strong and clear pricing and promotion policy” as well as on “understandable and attractive discounts”, says Rewe board member Marcel Haraszti.

In the future, this should also be reflected in the Billa leaflet, which will be the main leaflet from April. “Billa Plus” gets its own part.

It cannot be ruled out that campaigns may be mixed up. In the past, this was occasionally the case with Spar when Interspar ran a campaign. Something similar could happen with Billa / Billa Plus / Billa Corso.

The industry side also sees the leaflet merger as problematic. According to the industry magazine “Regal”, a uniform brochure means that the ranges of both sales channels must be coordinated and that the Billa range is largely listed at Merkur. However, one is also aware that typical Merkur goods will certainly not be sacrificed when they are merged.

“We are marrying the best of both worlds,” says Rewe board member Marcel Haraszti with certainty. But there is no marriage without compromise.

HERE >> So Billa is now changing its range >>

On Monday, Women's Day was the first occasion for a special session of the Austrian National Council. Even if SPÖ boss Pamela Rendi-Wagner and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) did not disagree on the diagnosis of the particularly difficult situation of women in the pandemic, there was enough room for dissonance. The FPÖ and NEOS were also dissatisfied.

Image: APA

Women's Day is not a day of parties and celebrations, but a day of struggle and protest for more justice and less inequality, stressed Rendi-Wagner. The unequal treatment of women continued in the crisis and is even worsening, emphasized the SPÖ leader. The following applies at various levels: “The most important thing is that action is taken quickly and consistently.”

The “Urgent Motion”, which was the basis of the special session, was extensively designed by the Social Democrats. Among other things, an economic stimulus package with special consideration of the concerns of female employees and a maintenance guarantee were called for. In addition, there should be targeted promotion of women in the labor market, more money for protection against violence and childcare facilities, an emergency aid package for single parents and measures to improve the current situation of one-person companies. Rendi-Wagner described an increase in unemployment benefits as “more necessary than ever”. The application was only approved by the opposition.

In return, Kurz pointed out that the women's budget had increased by almost 50 percent. There is also a record budget from the finance minister for the labor market and re-entry. “We are the best in the world when it comes to aid, and that's a good thing,” said the Chancellor of his government. He hopes that future opening steps will bring women back into employment accordingly. Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) reminded that there is a disproportionate promotion of women in the budget of the Public Employment Service (AMS) this year.

Above all, the SPÖ and FPÖ were extremely dissatisfied with Kurz's speech, also because he used the debate to condemn violence and anti-Semitism at the recent anti-corona protests in Vienna. SPÖ women's boss Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek counted only seven minutes of speeches dedicated to women by the Chancellor and accused him of disrespect. There was a lack of deeds by all members of the government, and Women's Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) is “a bit in a twilight sleep”.

Your FPÖ colleague Rosa Ecker saw it similarly. Briefly “dropped the mask” and showed how little importance women actually are to him. She called for a change of direction, but also an end to the corona measures so that the women could fight family celebrations again without restrictions. Henrike Brandstötter (NEOS) criticized the fact that the desire for equality often still looks like a vision of another planet, for example when girls in the country want to participate in the voluntary fire brigade.

Here she met with the Greens' club chairwoman, Sigrid Maurer. She spoke of centuries of Sisyphean work and warned of an anti-feminist backlash in the crisis. “For us it's women's day 365 days a year,” she emphasized. She defended the Chancellor's remarks on the weekend demos. Wherever anti-Semites and neo-fascists marched, contempt for women also played a role, said Maurer.

On the part of the ÖVP, Elisabeth Pfurtscheller defended the Federal Chancellor. Department head Raab then recalled broad support measures for women and “unprecedented family benefits” in the crisis. “I want every girl in Austria to know that she can become what she wants,” she underlined, referring to a new funding initiative for scientific professions endowed with 1.3 million euros.

The masks are of the highest quality, says Tino Wieser. He defends the certification in Hungary and sees no political component.

After the fiber manufacturer Lenzing, as the majority owner of the mask manufacturer Hygiene Austria, surprisingly withdrew its two managing directors on Monday, the remaining managing director Tino Wieser from the minority shareholder Palmers has to take care of damage limitation in the mask scandal.

“Sat there alone”

He actually wanted to take over the company entirely, but Lenzing broke off contact, Wieser told APA on Monday evening.

In the afternoon, Lenzing announced by mail that the nomination of Stephan Sielaff as managing director of Hygiene Austria would be withdrawn and Stephan Trubrich would be dismissed as managing director with immediate effect. The reason given was that they had not been given full access to important documents.

“Last week we worked together with Lenzing to clear up the whole thing, including the whole weekend except yesterday at eight o'clock, when I was suddenly sitting there alone,” Wieser told APA.

“Today the statement came at noon, while all employees were invited to a team lunch, that all Lenzing employees would be withdrawn.”

“Everything confiscated”

Until then, Lenzing had been there with 15 to 20 people. “In terms of the division of tasks, it was clear from the start that Lenzing would be responsible for production and material procurement plus quality assurance and certificates,” said Wieser.

Palmers' tasks were sales, marketing, logistics and accounting. “I just don't think it's okay if a partner steals away a bit during this time, to put it bluntly.”

Wieser does not accept Lenzing's reasoning that they did not have access to important documents. “Do you know what happens when a house is searched? They confiscate everything. We sat here until Saturday evening, worked everything out together. Data was exchanged yesterday, the last data was exchanged this morning.”

But it is just not possible to inspect documents that are with the public prosecutor.

Interested in taking over

He still intends to take over Hygiene Austria entirely. “I made a takeover offer, we were already drafting the contract, the notary was appointed for 2 p.m. today,” said Wieser. Instead, however, there was the surprising press release by Lenzing.

He is still interested in the takeover, but “you have to talk to me. If the majority shareholder no longer talks to you, it'll be a bit difficult. I called everyone, nobody answers.”

At the weekend, mask production was interrupted, but has since been resumed, Wieser reported. You are now producing in stock for the time being. “Last week wasn't the best in terms of sales, you have to be very clear.”

The scandal surrounding the FFP2 protective masks “Made in Austria” occurred when it became known that some of the masks were not produced at the Wiener Neudorf site, but were bought in from a Chinese contract manufacturer.

Do not worry

“I understand people's uncertainty,” said Wieser, but “our masks are all of the highest quality. We also had the masks made by the contract manufacturer checked again over the weekend.” Nobody has to worry, “the masks are better than anything else that you can buy on the market.”

Hygiene Austria made 98 percent of its sales in Austria. “We are an Austrian company and everything I deliver is fine.” So far, more than 100 million masks have been produced, only a small part of which has been bought from a contract manufacturer due to the high demand. “I am of the opinion that I have not done anything wrong,” said Wieser.

“I was of the opinion that a certain amount of the product is enough to write 'Made in Austria' on it.” It is about the same model and the same material, “they are twice as expensive as if you make them yourself”.

“This is not the pampas”

It was also criticized that the certification of the FFP2 protective masks was not carried out in Austria. The review last weekend was also carried out in Hungary, said Wieser.

“This is Europe, this is not the pampas. At that time we called all over Europe in the course of certification: 'Who can issue us a certificate quickly?' Austria only has a certification body, I think since December last year. ” With other certification bodies there would have been waiting times of six to eight months.

Wieser also rejected the accusation that Hygiene Austria had employed undeclared temporary workers. They used three personnel supply companies and had statements from the social security and tax authorities presented to them every month to check whether all employees are correctly registered.

“In the course of last week's investigation, we had all the registrations from all employees. I'll put my hand on the fire for that.” They currently have 220 employees and plan to increase to 300 in the middle of the month.

“Never spoke to Kurz on the phone”

The scandal takes on a political dimension through Wieser's relationship to the office manager of Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP), who is married to his brother, Palmers board member Luca Wieser. Hygiene Austria could have benefited from this close relationship, so the suspicion. Wieser also rejects this accusation.

“We have sold a total of just one percent of everything that we have produced over the entire period to public authorities, governments and the BBG (Federal Procurement Company, note),” said the Hygiene Austria managing director. “I never called Kurz on the phone. I went to his election rally – what do I know when that was, 2015? – to congratulate him, that was it.”

Loss of jobs, short-time work and the closure of educational institutions – all these consequences of the corona crisis have worsened the situation of women in Austria, according to the chairwoman of the Austrian Women's Association Klaudia Frieben. At a press conference on Women's Day on Monday, women's organizations criticized the government's “male” crisis management, demanded more money for women's policy and promotion, and spoke of the government's “alms policy”.

Image: APA

With distance learning, working mothers, for whom there is often no quiet place to work from home, are now also responsible for the school success of their children, criticized Elisabeth Cinatl from the network of women's and girls' counseling centers. Many girls also do not have the technical prerequisites to be able to study from home, so educational opportunities are once again dependent on income. Political measures should therefore be geared towards the realities of life of women and girls; measures already taken would have to be readjusted.

From Minister for Women Susanne Raab (ÖVP), Frieben demanded the immediate release and payment of the 6.2 million euros announced the previous week for women’s counseling centers. “Get involved”, she appealed to the minister and called for a “real and social policy for women.” This demand includes, among other things, an increase in unemployment benefits to a 70 percent net replacement rate, a family bonus of 1,500 euros for each child regardless of the income of the parents, a strengthening of pensions for women and direct subsidies for single parents.

“We don't want any projects,” says the chairwoman of the Feminist Single Parents Association, Andrea Czak. “Every fourth child in Austria grows up with a single parent. Half of them have slipped below the poverty line as a result of Corona.” That is why Czak is demanding double family allowances for single mothers since the beginning of the corona crisis, as well as an additional pension month per month in lockdown.

The participants also denounced violence against women. For example, managing director Maria Rösslhumer from the Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters called for an improvement in the situation of women with children who separate from violent partners. Because of joint custody, these women often have to deal with their ex-partner for longer, which leads to further violence. In cases of violence, a standardized decision-making process for custody and contact rights should come about.

The latest murder case in Vienna shows that, despite good laws, Austria has dangerous loopholes in the security system for women, the Vienna Intervention Center said. The institution calls for a permanent commission for the prevention of femicides with the involvement of women and victim protection organizations.

The Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGÖ) also drew attention to the existing imbalance in income, for example. Although the proportion of women in important key positions within the religious community has risen steadily in recent years, women are still underrepresented in their political bodies. The Catholic Family Association also pleaded for more diversity in women's politics.

“Women have to have the courage to openly express their demands – including their salary demands in the company – they have to form a closed lobby for all-day schools and a reformed care system and they have to incorporate men into everyday family work,” said Margit Kraker, President of the Court of Auditors in a speech on the occasion of Women's Day.

From Wednesday 10.3. Financial products must be rated in three grades across the EU with regard to their sustainability.

Icon image.

Wednesday 10.3. the EU Disclosure Regulation comes into force. This means that from this point on, all financial products, such as funds or life insurance, are evaluated in a three-stage system with regard to their sustainability. From the beginning of 2022, providers will even have to actively ask customers whether they want sustainable financial products.

“Sustainability is the order of the day,” says Hannes Dolzer, chairman of the financial services association in the Chamber of Commerce (WKO). The interest in corresponding investment opportunities has “increased significantly” and this trend should be strengthened by the new regulation. Around a third of customers would already accept lower returns for sustainability.

Color scheme

Conventional investments without taking sustainability criteria into account are therefore considered “gray”. “Light green” are financial products with a mandatory sustainability strategy. The highest level, “dark green”, denotes financial products with a measurable impact.

There is currently only a “narrow range of investments” in this category, according to Martin Kwauka, financial advisor and initiator of the financial journalists' forum. However, the mandatory labeling could lead to an expansion. Sustainability does not only refer to environmental protection, but also to social criteria such as promoting cohesion and integration or combating inequality.

However, the regulation has a horse: So far, there are no clear international standards for assessment. The providers not only have to categorize their financial products themselves, they also have to justify them. It is therefore to be feared that different standards will be applied across the European market. In Austria it has not yet been determined which institution will control this division into the three categories.

background

The European Green Deal, which is supposed to make the EU climate neutral by 2050, requires massive investments. According to a study by Goldman Sachs, 10,000 billion euros will be needed over the next 3 decades.

Since the EU states cannot do this on their own, money flows from private investors are to be diverted towards sustainability.

FFP2 Masks Hygiene Austria

After the mask scandal at Hygiene Austria, Lenzingden's manager leaves. An explanation is not possible.

A few days ago, house searches at Hygiene Austria made headlines. It is a subsidiary of Palmers and Lenzing that was founded in spring 2020. The suspicion: The company is said to have simply relabelled Chinese masks. The allegation of illegal work is also made.

As it became known on Monday, Lenzing has now dismissed Stephan Trubrich as managing director with immediate effect. In addition, the nomination of Stephan Sielaff as managing director will be withdrawn, as the company announced in a press release. This is justified by the fact that an explanation of the mask affair is not possible.

“Since we did not have full access to important documents or reliable documentation, Lenzing feels unable to carry out the operational management in the interests of the customers of Hygiene Austria and to implement the intended forensic work to process the processes comprehensively and in the required quality The documents required for this are for the most part in the Palmers premises, to which Lenzing neither had nor had access, “the broadcast said.

Lenzing therefore leaves the processing of the current allegations to the responsible authorities. They will support them to the best of their ability.

So you can see for yourself how often the end of the crypto currency has already been predicted.

Regardless of whether the Bitcoin price is rising or falling: the cryptocurrency will not come of anything. At least that's what professors, financial experts, journalists, investors and well-known rich people say over and over again.

Since Bitcoin was introduced in January 2009, it has been declared dead more than 400 times. The first time it took place in December 2010, the last time a few days ago. And it will probably only be a few days before the next death report appears.

Bitcoin obituaries

The website Bitcoin Obituaries, in German: Bitcoin obituaries, collects these early published obituaries. On the page, the articles Bitcoin dies in are sorted by year of publication. Of course there is a link to the original sources in order to be able to read the “death notices”.

Most commonly, Bitcoin died in 2017, according to the website. In 2017, China also began banning Bitcoin trading, which many analysts saw as the beginning of the end for the cryptocurrency.

That year, the price rose from $ 998 to over $ 19,000 just after Christmas. On January 1, 2018, it was $ 13,400. The Bitcoin rate is currently over $ 50,000 (as of March 8, 2021, 3:00 p.m.).