SPÖ boss Pamela Rendi-Wagner spoke out clearly against further easing on Saturday in view of the increasing number of infections. “I warn against further opening steps. I am in favor of a way of security, control and caution. I don't want a situation like we had in Austria in November,” she said. Openings must be sustainable and should not result in further lockdowns, she said at a press conference.
Image: APA
In the run-up to the deliberations of the federal government planned for Monday, during which the further procedure is to be fixed, Rendi-Wagner also recalled the disturbing images from Italy a year ago: “I don't want a situation like the one in hospitals in Italy a year ago in Bergamo. We have all obviously already forgotten these pictures. I don't want a situation like the one that is happening these days in the Czech Republic, where the health care hospitals are also collapsing. Patients dangerous “- but ultimately for the care of all patients, she warned.
About three weeks ago, when the federal government decided to open the door easily, the number of new infections every day was “just over 1,000”, she recalled. “Today's figures show a high for February with almost 2,500 new infections”, this development is “highly risky”. Because one has a very unstable situation due to the “opening too early, due to the strongly spreading virus mutations”.
The numbers have “doubled in the last two weeks” and one can “assume that the doubling of the past two weeks will continue”. Because the current infections will only be seen in the statistics in ten days. Any further opening step will “further accelerate the loss of control over the infection process that can already be observed.”
The turquoise-green government is now called upon to stop this development. However, opening steps at this point in time would mean a “surrender” to the virus and a threat to both human health and economic development.
The approach of mass testing is “correct, important and also necessary”, but she herself has been calling for it for twelve months. “But one thing has to be clear: With the high number of cases that are already taking place in Austria, with the ever increasing number of mutations, testing alone cannot prevent an increase 100 percent.”
“My goal is not only to open, but to open permanently, to open sustainably, to prevent further lockdowns until we have reached a time with a higher vaccination rate, at least in the area of risk patients.” This is also the answer to the calls of the provincial governors, she gave to understand – for example to those of her party colleague Hans-Peter Doskozil. The Burgenland governor had only proposed a change of course from lockdowns to mass tests the day before.
She was cautious about any further tightening of measures – such as the renewed closure of trade. She referred to the responsibilities of the federal government, which had not followed its suggestion three weeks ago that the openings should only be opened at a later date. When asked about the situations in schools, Rendi-Wagner said: “School closings should always be the very last resort”.
The SPÖ leader described vaccination as the “central key to freedom,” because more speed is needed here. In the medium term, vaccine production in Austria should also be considered, because the virus will remain for a long time.
