In Austria, the mask requirement to contain the corona pandemic is largely lifted during the summer months. FFP2 masks are currently still required to be worn on public transport and in supermarkets. This rule will be temporarily suspended for three months from June 1st, said Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) on Tuesday in Vienna. The mask requirement will continue to apply in hospitals and retirement homes.
“Now the pandemic is giving us a breathing space,” said Rauch. The seven-day incidence on Monday was only around 230 new corona infections per 100,000 inhabitants – slightly below the German value of 307. However, Rauch made it clear that the The mask requirement will be reinstated if, as expected, the infections increase again in autumn.
In view of the good pandemic situation, the obligation to vaccinate remains suspended, as Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) announced. The obligation to immunize against Covid-19 was decided by Parliament at the beginning of the year, but it was never put into practice. (dpa)