In Austria, the general obligation to wear masks indoors will be lifted on Saturday. FFP2 masks then only have to be worn in grocery stores and public transport as well as in hospitals and nursing homes, as Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) announced on Thursday. “Now is the right time for relief,” he said, referring to the falling number of infections. The seven-day incidence recently fell below 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Four weeks earlier, Rauch had extended the mask requirement to all retail, cultural institutions and workspaces. This regulation is now withdrawn. In addition, guests in clubs, bars and at major events on Saturday no longer have to be vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or tested (3G).
In contrast to the rest of the country, the 2G rule (vaccinated or recovered) has so far applied in Vienna. This measure will also be lifted on Saturday, as the city government announced. (dpa)