Carinthia WK President Jürgen Mandl warns: “We have to keep the infection process under control through intensified tests, FFP2 masks and distance”.
Even if it is more a cautious approach than a decisive opening step: Carinthia's economy welcomed preliminary media reports on Monday, which unanimously predict a reopening of trade, body-friendly service providers and schools. Chamber of Commerce President Jürgen Mandl: “Every journey, even the long way out of the crisis and back to normality, begins with the first step. The clear demands of the economy, but also the increasing pressure from the population and the OK of many health experts have the decisive factor. “
Now it is important to use the regained leeway wisely and wisely, emphasized the business representative. The opening of important parts of the economy and society in the event of a development that cannot be clearly assessed due to the virus mutations, however, must be accompanied by particular caution, emphasized Mandl: “Keep your distance, wear FFP2 masks, test as often as possible – this is part of our freer everyday life in over the next few weeks. ” If the numbers go up again, there is a threat of another lockdown with fatal consequences for the economy, work and prosperity in Austria.
All the more incomprehensible for Mandl is the hesitant approach taken by the Ministry of Health in relation to the question of company testing, which may be crucial for success. If social life in Austria is to be gradually ramped up again in a week, a clear plan for regular tests is urgently needed not only in companies with more than 50 employees, but also for the many thousands of companies with fewer employees. In Carinthia alone, around 13,500 companies with well over 70,000 employees are affected.
Mandl: “The Ministry of Health has been putting us off for weeks and is not getting any further on this currently most important question. Instead, the economy is being attacked with unreal immigration regulations that can only be stopped with the emergency brake, before our operations virtually overnight without their around 12,000 important employees from Italy and Slovenia. “
The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Jürgen Mandl, wants to discuss this topic with the Carinthian social partners in the joint government meeting tomorrow, Tuesday. But it should also be about your own homework, says Mandl in a broadcast:
“Experts say that with a seven-day incidence of less than 100 cases, contact tracing has to work again in order to prevent the uncontrolled spread of the virus. This tracking already collapsed in Carinthia with the rise in infections last November, we must not do that again happen.”
