In Austria, all corona measures are gradually being phased out. The government decided on Wednesday. The mask requirement in hospitals and nursing homes, which is still in force, is to expire on April 30th. All special provisions should end on June 30, it said on Wednesday. SARS-CoV-2 will then no longer be a notifiable disease. The restrictions for people who have tested positive will then no longer exist either.
Although infected people do not currently have to be quarantined, they are obliged to wear an FFP2 mask indoors and outdoors when in close contact with other people. All corona crisis teams and committees would be dissolved, it said.
As early as mid-January, the Austrian Minister of Health Johannes Rauch (Greens) spoke of wanting to abolish all corona laws. Rauch said on Wednesday: “The pandemic is going, the virus stays and we will be able to deal with it.”
Rauch sees the current decision as a “historic decision”. The transition will be “designed in an orderly manner”. The basis for the decision is science. He referred to experts who did not assume that the Covid situation would worsen significantly again and that the health system would be overloaded.
The minister sees Austria well prepared: “The development of the past few months allows an end to the crisis measures.” He referred to the immunity of the population. Three quarters of the population are vaccinated. Vaccination, testing and medication should remain free of charge according to Rauch.