Unfortunately there won’t be a normal Christmas this year again. That should be pretty clear on this fourth weekend in Advent. Even if the seven-day incidence in Austria has now fallen back to 271 this Friday after the lockdown.
But that could only be a short respite, as the so-called traffic light commission warned on Thursday. The Omikron variant will with a high probability “lead to a high wave of infections”. The virologist Florian Krammer also emphasized this in ZiB2 on Wednesday: “Which is now, unfortunately, a very stupid situation“, said the Styrian who researches in New York.
Well “Unfortunately” – perhaps the real word for 2021; the choice fell on the term shadow chancellor.
Missed opportunities, lack of foresight
“Unfortunately we don’t know what else this virus surprises us with,” said Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen last week in his last swearing-in ceremony. The new Federal Chancellor Nehammer emphasized with regard to the compulsory vaccination, which should apply from February: This is “unfortunately necessary”. And SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner also used this formulation for the nationwide lockdown, And SPÖ boss Pamela Rendi-Wagner also used this formulation for the nationwide lockdown, which ended this Friday in Upper Austria as the last federal state for vaccinated and convalescent people.
There are two innovations for the weekend: For the first time, the shops are allowed to open on Sunday in order to catch up at least part of the failed Christmas business. Also on Sunday there is a so-called in Vienna Sea of lights planned with thousands of candles, at which the corona dead should be remembered – as a silent counterpoint to the demos of the loud critics of the corona policy. And there is also an innovation for next week: From Monday onwards, travelers to Austria must either be vaccinated three times or have recovered until further notice, or be able to show a negative PCR test.
A month ago, Cathrin Kahlweit wrote about the corona management of the missed measures and the lack of foresight at this point under the title “Please not again”. And unfortunately, among other things, there will be no normal Christmas because of the mistakes in the fight against the pandemic.
The Christmas party “daham”
But maybe, and this is what the optimist in me says, it will be “Christmas as always”. Do you know the song by Wolfgang Ambros? It’s Austropop at its most kitschy side. Ambros sings that he doesn’t want to travel big on Christmas Eve, not to New York or the “Dom Rep”. He wants to stay “there” and look after himself. Invite a couple of friends. Ready. And that sounds pretty reasonable, doesn’t it?
For me as an Austrian abroad, it would definitely be an asset.
At Christmas 2020 I wasn’t even at home in Austria. The entry and quarantine rules were confusing and quickly changing. The infrastructure for fast, uncomplicated corona tests practically did not exist. FFP2 masks were rarely used. The vaccination only started a few days after Christmas Eve. In short: the risk was too great for me personally.
Today I see it differently. Those who want to have some means in hand to protect themselves and those around them. With contact reductions before the party, with the highest possible vaccination protection, with many tests and then above all: with celebrations that continue to take place in the smallest of circles.
With my closest relatives, at home in Salzburg, as I will do. And maybe with a few friends, like Wolfgang Ambros sings. Others would call him a “complete idiot” for this, reads a line in the song. But if that was ever true, then this year it’s definitely the other way around.
This column will also appear in the Austria Newsletter on December 17, 2021, which bundles reporting on Austria in the SZ. Register now for free.