Austria largely suspends the mask requirement to contain the corona pandemic during the summer months. From Wednesday until the end of August, it will also be possible to make purchases in supermarkets without this protection. Wearing FFP2 protective masks is no longer necessary almost everywhere, even on public transport. In general, masks still have to be put on in hospitals and retirement homes. In Vienna, the mask requirement is the only federal state that also applies to buses and trains. In autumn, the number of cases of corona infections could increase again, which would probably lead to a tightening of the measures. The seven-day incidence per 100,000 inhabitants in Austria is currently around 175 and in Germany around 200. (dpa)