Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig announced in a press conference on Wednesday that Vienna will lift FFP2 mask mandate in public transport and its stations will be lifted on February 28th. For several months, the Austrian capital has been the only province with a strict FFP2 mask mandate in public transport, as the city decided to keep stricter rules against the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision comes as part of a broader effort to relax coronavirus restrictions in the country. Austria’s seven-day average of daily new Covid-19 infections has decreased by around 60% in the last four weeks, according to the Health Ministry. However, experts have raised concerns that lifting restrictions too soon could lead to an increase in Covid-19 cases.
Earlier this month, Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) announced that the country would drop all Covid restrictions by the end of June. Vienna could have kept its regulations until the end of July when the Covid Measures Act, which allowed provinces to opt for stricter guidelines, expires. But the mayor stated that “After considering all aspects and the epidemiological situation, the hospital situation and current model calculations, it is now justifiable not to extend the special corona regulations for Vienna after February.”
The mayor also announced that other measures valid only in Vienna would expire by the end of February. The stricter rules for visitors in hospitals and elderly homes, who had to present a negative PCR test, will also fall. Additionally, employees at these establishments will no longer have to go through a weekly screening for Covid-19. However, the obligation to wear masks in hospitals and nursing homes will end only on April 30th, as it is a federal determination.
Mayor Ludwig expressed his gratitude to all the employees in the health system for their efforts. “Mainly thanks to them, Vienna passed the test and prevented conditions like those in other countries,” he said. The Mayor also highlighted the importance of expanding the healthcare system and keeping its high level, aiming to ensure that everyone has the best possible medical care in the future.
Although concerns remain about the potential for a third wave, the government appears to be confident that it can continue to control the spread of the virus. Wolfgang Graninger, Vienna’s chief physician, expressed his concern about the current situation, saying “In general, I don’t see this as a good sign, because we still have a large number of infections,” he said, adding that a third wave was still possible.
Austria has so far administered around 1.2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, with 3.3% of the population fully vaccinated, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The country’s vaccination rate is among the lowest in the European Union, which has raised concerns about the slow rollout.
In conclusion, the decision to lift the FFP2 mask mandate in Vienna’s public transport system comes as part of a broader effort to relax coronavirus restrictions in the country. Despite concerns about the potential for a third wave, the government appears to be confident that it can continue to control the spread of the virus. It remains to be seen whether the decision to lift the mask mandate will have any negative impact on the number of Covid-19 cases in the city.
Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig announced in a press conference on Wednesday that the FFP2 mask mandate in all Vienna public transport and its stations will be lifted on February 28th. For several months, the Austrian capital has been the only province with a strict FFP2 mask mandate in public transport, as the city decided to keep stricter rules against the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision comes as part of a broader effort to relax coronavirus restrictions in the country. Austria’s seven-day average of daily new Covid-19 infections has decreased by around 60% in the last four weeks, according to the Health Ministry. However, experts have raised concerns that lifting restrictions too soon could lead to an increase in Covid-19 cases.
Earlier this month, Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) announced that the country would drop all Covid restrictions by the end of June. Vienna could have kept its regulations until the end of July when the Covid Measures Act, which allowed provinces to opt for stricter guidelines, expires. But the mayor stated that “After considering all aspects and the epidemiological situation, the hospital situation and current model calculations, it is now justifiable not to extend the special corona regulations for Vienna after February.”
The mayor also announced that other measures valid only in Vienna would expire by the end of February. The stricter rules for visitors in hospitals and elderly homes, who had to present a negative PCR test, will also fall. Additionally, employees at these establishments will no longer have to go through a weekly screening for Covid-19. However, the obligation to wear masks in hospitals and nursing homes will end only on April 30th, as it is a federal determination.
Mayor Ludwig expressed his gratitude to all the employees in the health system for their efforts. “Mainly thanks to them, Vienna passed the test and prevented conditions like those in other countries,” he said. The Mayor also highlighted the importance of expanding the healthcare system and keeping its high level, aiming to ensure that everyone has the best possible medical care in the future.
Although concerns remain about the potential for a third wave, the government appears to be confident that it can continue to control the spread of the virus. Wolfgang Graninger, Vienna’s chief physician, expressed his concern about the current situation, saying “In general, I don’t see this as a good sign, because we still have a large number of infections,” he said, adding that a third wave was still possible.
Austria has so far administered around 1.2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, with 3.3% of the population fully vaccinated, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The country’s vaccination rate is among the lowest in the European Union, which has raised concerns about the slow rollout.
The decision to lift the FFP2 mask mandate in Vienna’s public transport system comes as part of a broader effort to relax coronavirus restrictions in the country. Despite concerns about the potential for a third wave, the government appears to be confident that it can continue to control the spread of the virus. It remains to be seen whether the decision to lift the mask mandate will have any negative impact on the number of Covid-19 cases in the city.