After the short Christmas break, strict corona measures will come into force again on Stefanitag. The number of new infections has continued to decline. According to the Ministry of Health and the Interior, 1,429 people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 within the past 24 hours. That number was even below the seven-day average of 1896, which is not surprising given the holidays. With 17,384 registered tests within one day, 8.2 percent were positive.
In the past 24 hours, 60 people in Austria have died of or with the corona virus. A total of 5843 people did not survive the consequences of an infection. The seven-day average is still 90.6 deaths.
There are currently 2,455 in the hospital with a corona infection, which is one more patient than on Christmas Day. There were 431 patients with Covid-19 in the country's intensive care units on Stefanitag, 22 more than the day before. On November 25, the maximum number of intensive care patients was measured, as 709 had to be treated in intensive care.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, 350,484 people in Austria have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. 320,753 have recovered from an infection. Currently 23,888 are suffering from an infection (as of: Stefanitag 9.30 a.m.), that is 1230 less than on Christmas Day. The seven-day incidence – the number of new infections in seven days per 100,000 population – continued to decline from 158.9 to 149.1.
Most new infections in the past 24 hours were measured in Lower Austria with 334, followed by Vienna with 301, Upper Austria with 233, Salzburg with 178, Styria with 116, Tyrol with 91, Vorarlberg with 65, Carinthia with 59 and Burgenland with 52 new infections.
Third lockdown begins
From December 26th up to and including January 17th private meetings are only allowed to a limited extent. Several people from one household may only meet one person from another. Exit restrictions apply again around the clock. You are only allowed to leave the house for specific reasons, for example to come to work, help others, go shopping, go for a walk, take out animals or do outdoor sports. Once again, the trade and body-friendly services such as hairdressers will be closed. After January 17th, there will be easing only for those who have previously tested for the corona virus.
The new lockdown, which also includes the blocking of trade and the closure of hairdressers and other personal service providers, will in fact apply up to and including January 17th. After that, the reopening of the trade but also of the cultural life and the gastronomy is planned at least during the day. In the first week, however, you can only benefit from the relief if you have previously tested (free of charge) for the corona virus. Corresponding ordinances, which define these rules more precisely, are of course still being drawn up.
The lockdown is intended to further reduce the rapid increase in autumn. On November 13th, a high of 9,586 new infections was registered. As a result, the number of those hospitalized and those who died rose sharply.
Trade should cost billions
The third corona lockdown will again cost the domestic retail industry billions in sales. Trade researchers from the Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) expect gross sales losses of just under 1.9 billion euros. Between January 18 and January 24, customers must then be able to show a negative Corona test for visiting shops.
According to the JKU trade researchers, the first lockdown caused a loss of sales in retail of 3.8 billion euros and the second forced break cost 2.2 billion euros in revenue. According to estimates, domestic retailers will have lost almost 8 billion euros in sales with the three lockdowns. The trade association expects revenue losses of as much as 10 billion euros. “The three hard lockdowns have hit the trade in the marrow,” said trade association managing director Rainer Will. For the New Year, Will would like the government to have “more planning security”.
“Used to get people going to business”
The trade association is critical of the corona mass tests in January as a prerequisite for easing. People with a negative test result are allowed to visit all shops and service providers as well as restaurants and hotels from January 18th, without a test you have to wait a week longer until January 25th. “You get used to going to business by 'freestyle'”, says Will. In a recent survey, 42 percent of those questioned wanted to be “freed”: The third corona lockdown for retail – with the exception of supermarkets, pharmacies and tobacconists – would take almost a month, criticized the trade association managing director.
Because of the third corona lockdown, the shutters in shops, hairdressers and other body-friendly services such as beauticians, masseurs or nail salons have to stay down from tomorrow, December 26th, up to and including January 17th. As in spring and from mid-November to early December, only a few shops are allowed to be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., including supermarkets, drugstore chains and tobacconists. Electronics, fashion and shoe retailers, furniture stores and sports shops are closing.
Pre-order and pick-up allowed
On the other hand, customer areas of non-body service companies (for example banks, car and bicycle workshops, insurance companies, cleaning shops, tailors) may have more open. The entire food trade as well as the health sector (in addition to pharmacies, for example, also the sale of medical products) can remain open. For the first time in the corona lockdown, digital and telephone pre-ordering and collection of goods is allowed in all shops.
