with additional reporting by Amina Frassl

After the Austrian government took increasingly drastic measures in March to contain the coronavirus, the country successfully flattened the curve in April, and gradually reopened shops, schools and restaurants again in May.

Life in Vienna got back to something like normality with summer arriving in June, while newly rising numbers in July have prompted regional lockdowns, quarantine, travel warnings and targeted measures. In August, the CoV-Ampel was introduced, and measures were gradually tightened.

With fall upon us and schools opening, a new stage in dealing with the pandemic begins.

Here is a wrap-up of the measures currently in place in Austria, as they were announced, and information about the situation in general.

September 18, 2020:

807 new corona infections were reported within Austria in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of active infections to 7,477, an increase of +396 cases (+5.6%) since yesterday. The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 increased further by +15 cases (+4.7%) to a total of 334. The number of patients in intensive care rose by +7 cases (12.7%) of 62. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 763 people have died in Austria from or with COVID-19. Over the weekend, 5 more cases of death were reported.



Due to the rapid increase in new cases, Lower Austrian hospitals are building three new stations for corona patients.

At a press conference today, Labour Minister Christine Aschenbacher (ÖVP) announced that she will present a legislative framework for the home office at the earliest in March 2021.

After a member of her cabinet tested positive for the coronavirus, Constitution and EU Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) also tested positive yesterday afternoon. She is currently self-isolating and tested negative for the virus this morning.

The foreign ministry is monitoring the situation in neighboring Czechia, which reported an all-time-high of over 3,000 new corona infections yesterday.

September 17, 2020:

At a press conference, the government has announced new stricter measures to contain the coronavirus starting on Monday, at midnight (00:00). Private meeting indoors will be limited to 10 participants. The only exception to this rule will be funerals, which families can organize the way they deem appropriate. All other private gatherings – including weddings – will be limited to 10 participants indoors. In restaurants, a maximum of 10 people can sit on one table. Masks have to be worn everywhere when not sitting. Consuming drinks and food is only allowed when seated. On markets and trade fairs, masks also have to be worn outside. For bigger cultural events or outdoors with an approved hygiene concept, a higher number of attendants is still permitted.



Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) spoke of “exponentially rising” coronavirus numbers that have to be reined in now to “hopefully” prevent a second lockdown. Kurz emphasized that “we know now that new infections happen indoors” and mainly in private rounds, “where people feel safe and comfortable.” That is why the government is now taking this new and stricter measures. Kurz also announced that the reduced valued-added tax (VAT) rates for the hospitality and cultural sector will be prolonged all throughout 2021. Kurz appealed to all Austrian to once again take the hygiene measures very seriously and reduce social gatherings to the aforementioned 10 people. Legally, the 10 people limit cannot be applied to private apartments, but Kurz said the government urgently advices keeping it. Kurz also noted that big dance event, such as balls, do not seem “realistic” to get the go-ahead this ball season. Particularly affected region can take stricter measures than are in force on the federal level, Kurz said.



Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) asked everyone living in Austria to help bringing the number of new infections down again. Kogler underlined that most new infections happen in private gatherings and also specifically pointed to what he called “après football” parties to which several new cases could be traced back to. Kogler also called for more individual responsibility and discipline again, connecting the health crisis with the economic crisis and quipping: “From the brainlessness of a few it is a not so big step to unemployment of many.”



Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) pointed to rising hospitalization rates and the places of recent coronavirus infections. Anschober listed several venues and situations where new infections have happened in last week and said the new measures and the appeal to again social distance are meant to bring these numbers down again. Anschober showed himself worried about the recently rising numbers and quoted three different simulations going from here: a linear one and two exponential ones. Measures now decide which one Austria will follow. The health minister also said that the average age of positively tested people was 58-59 years in spring and is 38-39 years now, pointing to a different profile of the infected population. Still, infection chains are also again reaching older people.



Minister of Interieur Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) emphasized that 7,000 new infections have been recorded just in September. Nehammer asked everyone to keep following new measures and announced that the police will also control the new measures again more strictly. The curfew in night bars will again be controlled more strictly, with penalties of up to €1,450 for violations.



The Austrian government has announced an impromptu press conference on the “current situation” today from 14:00-14:45. The press conference will be attended by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP), Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens), Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) and Minister of the Interieur Karl Nehammer (ÖVP). Austria’s public broadcaster ORF will subsequently host a special broadcast on the new developments.



Hospitals in Vorarlberg have issued a general ban on external visitors, just as in March and April. Exceptions can be made in very specific cases.

The Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien) has instituted a fast-track CoV test system for its students. Up to 3,000 freshmen students will attend classes at the Austria Center Vienna and can be tested. A 15-minutes coronavirus fast test will ensure that all students attending will have a negative SARS-CoV-2 status. One the first day, 3 out of 3,000 students tested positive for the virus. The tests are paid for by the university and cost between €15-22 apiece. Norbert Kettner, director of the association Wien Tourism hopes that the pilot project will open new perspectives for the hospitality and event sectors. “In the medium term, functioning fast tests can be part of the solution, contributing to a new start for the events industry. For 2021, at least twelve major congresses are already planned in Vienna, ten of them starting in June,” Kettner was quoted.



Vor dem @acv_official wurden heute ca. 1000 WU-Studenten erstmals mittels Schnelltest auf Corona getestet. 15 Minuten dauert es bis zum Ergebnis. Bei drei Studierenden fiel der Test positiv aus. https://t.co/0R83FCFx7t — Andreas Terler (@andreasterler) September 16, 2020

From 11:00 yesterday to 11:00 today, 876 new cases of coronavirus were reported in Austria. The number of active cases rose by +391 (+5.9%) to a total of 7,051. The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 fell slightly by -2 to 319, after brisk increases in recent days. Of those, 55 patients are being treated in an intensive care unit, an increase of +1 (+1.9%) since yesterday. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 758 people in Austria passed away from or with COVID-19.



Travelers coming from Vienna transiting trough Germany at the so-called Großes Deutsches Eck (Big German Corner) and Kleines Deutsches Eck (Small German Corner) – i.e. the roads between Salzburg and Tyrol that go through Bavarian territory – do not have to show a negative SARS-CoV-2 test results. As this traffic is considered “border transit” by Germany, the new rules for travelers from coronavirus risk areas, to which Vienna was added yesterday, do not apply.



Meanwhile, neighboring Czechia reported more than 2,000 new infections in a day, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic. The country is currently battling one of the fastest surges in Europe. Health Minister Adam Vojtěch (ANO) announced several stricter measures, for example banning indoor meetings where more than 10 people stand and expanding mandatory mask-wearing in public.



In the United Kingdom, surging coronavirus numbers in north-east England have observers expect new containment measures and restrictions to be applied soon.

Belgium added Vienna to its red list of coronavirus risk areas.

September 16, 2020:

This afternoon, Germany put Vienna on its red list of coronavirus destinations. Travelers coming from Vienna to Germany have to either show a negative coronavirus test result no older than 48 hours or enter quarantine for a period of 14 days. “Since September 5, there have been significantly more than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants, so we are forced to take action,” German governmental sources are quoted in the article. Currently, there are 113 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in Vienna in a span of seven days.

Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) does not see the impending decision as “something special. It is a development that affects all of Europe, especially urban areas. This already applies to other major European cities such as Brussels, Paris, Prague, Geneva – wherever there are naturally large gatherings of people,” Ludwig was quoted.

On the other hand, the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKÖ) is highly concerned about the travel warning’s impact on the city’s hotel businesses. “There is a hail of cancellations and no bookings for the rest of the fall,” said Susanne Kraus-Winkler, Chair of the Austrian Hotel Industry Association. She claimed the new travel warning is “bad news for Vienna’s tourism industry. According to Wien Tourismus, with a total of 155,000 overnight stays during July, Germans guests made up the largest portion of the city’s tourists.

Switzerland also added Vienna to its own red list of coronavirus risk areas last Friday, while at the same time Germany added the Swiss city of Geneva to its red list.

The City of Vienna announced that they will hire an additional 1,000 people for the coronavirus hotline as well as test & trace activities to contain the virus. 500 people will be directly assigned to contact tracing. Several hundred more will work for the coronavirus hotline 1450, the Viennese ambulance services or city health authorities. The number of daily calls to the hotline has increased from 1,222 on August 8 to 17,978 this Tuesday, September 15, reflecting the new challenge.



Angesichts der Herausforderungen von #Corona wird @stadt_wien das notwendige Personal um zusätzlich mehr als 1000 Personen aufstocken. So soll der Ablauf bei Erfassung von Neuinfektionen und Contact Tracing noch verbessert werden. #CoronaVirusAT — Michael Ludwig (@BgmLudwig) September 16, 2020

5 new corona cases were reported at the United Nations’ headquarters in Vienna, 3 of which were detected at the IAEA, 1 at the UNODC, and 1 at the UNIDO. This brings the total number of infections at the Vienna International Center to 43, of which 36 have already recovered.

Doctor Arschang Valipour, pulmologist and head of a COVID station at the Klinik Floridsdorf in Vienna, sees the city and country “well-prepared” for a new wave in the fall and winter. In an interview with Austrian daily Der Standard, Valipour confirmed that the currently rising numbers of hospitalizations had been expected and will probably also continue over the next weeks. At the same time, Valipour pointed to the markedly different profile of infected people compared to spring and also underlined advances in medical knowledge in how to treat the disease – for example, treating patients with COVID-19 early with cortisone can significantly reduce the share of patients needing intensive care. Valipour also emphasized that “our health care system is well-prepared for the fall” and that he is confident the system “will manage” if people keep following health and hygiene guidelines.



More than 750 new coronavirus cases were reported in Austria between 23:00 yesterday and the day before. While daily numbers of new infections are elevated, they currently seem to be plateauing at this higher level. Hospitalization rates and the number of people in intensive care (321 and 55 respectively) increased recently. At the same time, the Austrian health care system has still ample capacity to treat more people – only 6% of all intensive care beds in Austria are currently used by patients with COVID-19.



Simulation expert Nikolas Popper from Vienna’s Technical University warned of a “second wave” of coronavirus cases if the test & trace capacity will not be significantly expanded. Popper said Austria was on the right track in summer but infection numbers in recent weeks show that the situation is getting more serious now. Testing & tracing is the tool to contain the virus even with rising numbers, but Popper said it is not happening fast and efficient enough yet. He also recommended mask-wearing and a limitation of public gatherings, particularly indoors, to slow down the spread of the virus.



Several recent coronavirus clusters in Austria have been traced to parties in Vienna and several other federal states such as Salzburg, Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Tyrol. New rules and stricter regulations for clubs, bars and the nightlife are now expected.



The new CoV-Ampel will not switch lights every week anymore to avoid confusion. The corona traffic light warning system had been introduced two weeks ago by the Austrian government and is supposed to provide guidance on a regional level. Due to rapidly rising infection numbers, the government has taken measures that apply across the entire country, rendering the regional warning system moot to some degree. Nevertheless, Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) underlined that the warning system will be an additional too in containing the virus in the coming weeks and months.



The southern hemisphere has reported an exceptionally mild flu season. In Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, fewer influenza cases than in any year since 1984 were reported in their winter season. Experts point to hygiene measures, the distance rule, mask-wearing and generally higher attention to health and infection risk as the reason. Health experts in the northern hemisphere now wait whether our winter season will bring similar results. The City of Vienna wants to increase flu vaccination rates from 8% to 24% with a free flu shot vaccination campaign. Fighting influenza is also particularly important because recent studies point to the possibility that the flu worsens COVID-19 and vice versa – but also that the flu shot can provide a degree of protection from the coronavirus.



September 15, 2020:

The Austrian government has established a “strategic reserve” of masks and protective gear as a reaction to the scramble for equipment at the beginning of the pandemic. In cooperation with the Red Cross, the government purchased 2.6 million respiratory masks, 44.4 million surgical masks, 1.7 million examination gloves, 430,000 protective overalls, 37,000 protective goggles, 150,000 disposable aprons and 19,500 pulse oximeters with finger clips. In addition, 9,000 oxygen masks, 50,000 CoV test kits and 991,000 CoV rapid tests were stored in five facilities of the Austrian Bundesheer (Federal Army). Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (both ÖVP) presented the strategic reserve today, declaring: “We have all learned from the challenges of the Corona crisis and are preparing for further challenges.” The strategic reserve of protective equipment can be handed out on directives of the Austrian Health Ministry and is administered by the Federal Army.



Since yesterday, 780 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Austria. The number of active cases rose by +420 (+7.2%) to a total of 6,194. 293 people with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized, an increase of +38 (+14.9%) since yesterday. Of those, 49 are in intensive care, +2 (+4.3%) more than before



The advisory board of the official Cov-Ampel met on Monday in an extraordinary meeting due to rising coronavirus infection numbers across the country. Several media report concurrently that large parts of Austria will switch to yellow from currently green. Numerous cities will switch to orange, the second-highest warning color. This applies to: Vienna, Innsbruck, Kufstein, Mödling, Neunkirchen, Bludenz and Dornbirn. Many other regions in Upper Austria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg are blinking yellow. The implications of these color switches are still unclear as of now, as the government tightened measures for the entire country just last week.



As of today, Vienna residents can register for a free flu shot provided by the city’s health authorities. Either by clicking on “Impftermin buchen” on impfservice.wien (if you don’t yet have an account, creating one is mandatory) or by calling the hotline 01/4000-8015. After registering for a time slot, make sure to bring the confirmation of your appointment, your e-card and a photo ID. Vaccinations will take place all throughout winter, from October 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 and ought to take no longer than 15 minutes per shot, including waiting times. The flu shots will be administered in 7 vaccination centers of the city, including the “vaccination tramway,” as well as 4 vaccinations centers of the Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (Austrian General Health Insurance) and in the sanatorium Hera.



Kommen Sie, kommen Sie! Ab heute sind die Anmeldungen zur kostenlosen Grippe-Impfaktion der @Stadt_Wien möglich. Einfach auf https://t.co/HIbj67rgy8 gehen und ruckizucki einen Termin vereinbaren.

(Sorry. Hatte einen Typo im Link)#CoronavirusAT #wien pic.twitter.com/SH3caHM6hE — Mario Dujaković (@mariodujakovic) September 15, 2020

A CoV cluster was detected at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Music students taking part in the stage production of “The Merry Widow” at the Theater in der Gumpendorfer Straße (TAG) were tested positive for the virus. Several members of the State Opera’s orchestra were also part of the production, necessitating a small staff reshuffle. All further public events and performances of the University of Music were canceled as a reaction. Several performances of the State Opera were also affected. Currently, 24 cases in total can be traced back to this emerging cluster.



The pandemic has boosted property prices in Austria considerably, as a new report of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB) shows. In Vienna, prices rose by 4.1% in the second quarter compared to one year ago, after a year-on-year increase of 3.9% in the first quarter. In the rest of Austria, the increase was even more pronounced, with average prices of real estate rising 6.8% in the second quarter compared to a year before, after a y-on-y increase of 2.8% in the first quarter. Single-family homes led the surge with price increases of 10.6% across Austria and 11.7% in Vienna in the second quarter. As for the reasons behind this rise, the Austrian National Bank noted that “possibly this is due to the increased desire for living in the countryside or with a garden, as a result of the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic (trend towards home office, experiences in lockdown, social distancing).” Meanwhile, the cost of mortgages continues to fall, with effective annual interest rates on real estate loans standing at 1.77% in June 2020, a full 33 basic points (i.e. 0.33%) lower than a year ago.



September 14, 2020:

In the first week of school, 70 cases of coronavirus have been reported at Viennese schools. 55 students, 6 teachers and 9 administrative staff tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Most were individual cases, which points to infection chains within families and in private settings, not at schools. As a part of Austria’s strategy, randomized schools are picked for coronavirus testing in regular intervals, conducted with the easy and fast gargling test developed in the city.



The City of Vienna has presented its massively ramped up free flu vaccination program for the coming fall and winter. City authorities are aiming for 3,000 vaccinations against influenza every day, the free vaccination campaign will run from October 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. “We plan to set up seven vaccination centers and 34 vaccination corridors,” said Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) at a press conference on Monday. The campaign is supposed to increase flu vaccination rates in the city from 8 to 24%. Health authorities have purchased 400,000 doses of vaccination. Every year, between 5-10% of the population and about 20% of children have the flu or flu-like symptoms. In times of the coronavirus, containing the flu and its effects is more important to keep people healthy and health systems’ capabilities intact. Everyone who wants to to get a vaccination shot can book an appointment online under impfservice.wien (partly available also in English and Turkish) or call the health and coronavirus hotline 1450. Registrations start tomorrow, on September 15. It takes no more than 15 minutes to get a flu shot. Finally, a “vaccination tramway” will also offer mobile services in October and November, at locations at Karlsplatz, Schwedenplatz, Belvedere, Kennedybrücke, Westbahnhof and Schottenring.



Neben Impfzentren, Impfstraßen und der gewohnten Möglichkeit im niedergelassenen Bereich, haben wir auch Dinge wie eine Impfbim!(Ja, hier wird tatsächlich geimpft!)#CoronavirusAT #wien pic.twitter.com/Dr8cdP5kca — Mario Dujaković (@mariodujakovic) September 14, 2020

Since yesterday, +569 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Austria. The number of active cases rose by +131 (+2.3%) to a total of 5,774. 255 patients with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized, an increase of +28 (+12.8%) to the last data point; 47 of those are being treated in an intensive care unit, an increase of +3 (+6.8%) since yesterday. The number of deaths due to the virus in Austria rose to by one to 757.



As of midnight, new and stricter coronavirus rules are once again in force in Austria. Masks are now again mandatory indoors in the public space. This applies to stores, shops, official administrative offices, supermarkets, pharmacies, hospitals as well as all service-related venues (e.g. hairdressers, beauty salons, etc.). In bars and restaurants, masks have to be worn when walking inside the venue, but not when entering and leaving the place. Service personnel has to wear masks all the time. Visiting cultural events like the opera or the theater is still possible without a mask when sitting on designated place with enough distance to others. When entering, walking through or leaving the venue, masks are mandatory. Public events without designated seating are now restricted to 50 people inside and 100 people outside. For larger events, even with designated seating, a special authorization from local health authorities is needed. Austria’s Cov-Ampel advisory board rescheduled its next meeting from coming Thursday to today, Monday. New adjustments seem likely.



The City of Vienna has committed to act on the long waiting times when calling the coronavirus hotline 1450. Waiting times for test results stretched up to 7 days, said people who called the hotline. While doctors quickly came to take a swab, the laboratory results took up to a week to be delivered. Other critics maintained that a coronavirus test was not done despite calling several times and sharing details about symptoms. Another criticism regards contact tracing, which one affected Viennese said was done all by himself after receiving his positive result. The City of Vienna now reacts to this criticism by hiring and training more staff for the hotline. Furthermore, testing is scheduled to be switched to the faster, easier and cheaper “gargling tests” developed in Vienna, which are already applied for rolling testing in randomized schools and at universities.



In several Austrian federal states, the trend of newly reported coronavirus cases points steeply upwards at the moment. Vienna has recorded the most new cases last week, but the relative increases were highes in Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Burgenland also saw a marked acceleration in new cases. In Salzburg, Styria and Carinthia, the situation is still relatively calm, but the curve also points upwards and testing rates have been relatively low in recent weeks. At the same time, the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 both in absolute numbers and compared to active cases is significantly lower than it was in spring (see second graphic below for hospitalizations in blue, patients in intensive care in red).



September 13, 2020:

Mario Dujakovic, spokesman of Vienna’s City Councilor for Health, Peter Hacker (SPÖ), provided his own take on the recently rising coronavirus numbers. Dujaković pointed out that while Vienna still has the highest number and share of newly detected coronavirus infections (e.g. +444 cases on Saturday), the relative increase and trend points to other emerging hotspots. While Vienna has been testing on a massive scale all throughout summer, many other federal states have reduced testing and are now only ramping it up again. As a result, the “positivity rate” – i.e. the share of coronavirus tests that came back with a positive result – widely diverges between the federal states, with Vienna having the lowest, i.e. best rate at the moment (see first tweet below for the different positivity rates of Austria’s federal states). He also pointed out that the total number of daily tests massively differs, with Vienna testing more than almost all others combined (see second tweet below).



Zur besseren Kontextualisierung: Die gestrigen Testzahlen der jeweiligen Bundesländer.

Burgenland: 124

Kärnten: 139

Salzburg: 241

Steiermark: 695

OÖ: 697

Tirol: 961

Vorarlberg: 1.385

NÖ: 1.898

Wien: 4.433#CoronavirusAT #wien — Mario Dujaković (@mariodujakovic) September 13, 2020

The government wants to emphasize teleworking more again going into the fall. Austria’s so-called “social partners” (Sozialpartner) – i.e. representatives of companies, employees and state institutions – will work on new concepts to promote teleworking and make office work safer wherever possible.



A care home for the elderly in the Styrian capital of Graz has reported 37 recent coronavirus cases, 7 people had to be hospitalized with COVID-19 so far. Care homes and nursing homes have been epicenters of the most severe repercussions of the pandemic in countries like Italy, Spain and the UK in the spring. While the total number of deaths could be kept relatively low, a disproportionate number also came here from care homes – partly this is due to nursing homes’ inhabitants’ very advanced age and often poor health, but missing hygiene concepts and protection were also identified as culprit for a fast spread of the virus. New cases of SARS-CoV-2 had been concentrated among a younger demographic during the summer month, but epidemiologists recently pointed out that infection chains now started to reach again more elderly – and thus more vulnerable – members of society. Doctors call on everyone to pay extra attention when visiting a hospital or care home or when spending time with elderly relatives or friends in close quarters.



Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) sent a written statement to the Austrian press agency APA, saying that “What we’re now experiencing is the beginning of a second wave.” Kurz pointed out that the number of newly detected cases every day went “from about 350 two weeks ago to 850 yesterday.” The chancellor also sees the situation in Vienna as particularly dramatic, where “50 percent of all new infections are taking place.” Kurz appealed to the population to keep following hygienic guidelines like wearing a mouth-nose protection (mask) indoors, keeping a distance, washing hands regularly and being generally attentive. The chancellor still maintains that the summer next year will probably be again “mostly normal,” but that a “hard fall and winter” are ahead now.



Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) did not want to use the words “second wave” yet, but warned that we may soon see one if cases continue to rise. The Health Ministry issued a novelization of the Covid act which now foresees mandatory mask wearing in all shops, stores and other indoor rooms starting again tomorrow, on Monday, September 14. Anschober emphasized that “we will see positive consequences of these new measures in about 14 days,” as the experience from the spring has shown. The daily number of tests is at a new all-time high in Austria (14,674 tests yesterday), which is one of the reasons why numbers now are not easily comparable with those of March and April. Nevertheless, the number of new infections (869) is troublesome even compared to the number of cured people (322). Hospitalization rates and the number of ICU patients have risen recently, while mortalities have fortunately not risen yet.



A total of +381 new coronavirus cases were reported today in Austria, a markedly lower number than in recent days. Caveat: The reported numbers on weekends are often lower, due to many laboratories only reporting during the week. The number of active infections rose by +280 to a total of 5,643. 226 patients (+17) with COVID-19 are currently being treated in Austrian hospitals, 44 of which (+2) are in an intensive care unit. The number of deaths due to the coronavirus in Austria stands at 756.



Two more coronavirus clusters were discovered in Lower Austria. Seven people around a gym in St. Pölten were tested positive for the virus, as well as six people who had taken part in an event at an inn in the Waldviertel.



September 12, 2020:

Starting on Monday, September 14, wearing a mask will again be mandatory in all shops and stores all across Austria. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) declared that he expects this measure to stay in force “for a long time,” at least throughout the entire winter. Events with no fixed seating will be limited to 50 attendants indoors and 100 attendants outdoors. Bigger events with spaced seating will be limited to 1,500 people inside and 3,000 people outside. Kurz also said that “the summer was a comparatively good one. The autumn and winter will be very challenging. Exactly this situation is developing now.” Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) emphasized that “we want to absolutely avoid a second lockdown,” which is why it is crucial to ensure the pressure on hospitals and ICUs will not become too big.



Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) underlined that “many don’t want to believe it yet,” but the situation “is becoming serious again.” Anschober also referenced the situation in Europe and spoke of a “trend reversal” in case numbers.



Trendwende: die Lage in Europa spitzt sich wieder zu – daher sind starke bundesweite Massnahmen auch in Österreich unausweichlich gewesen. Ab Montag sind sie rechtskräftig pic.twitter.com/dmgrQOtSfI — Rudi Anschober (@rudi_anschober) September 12, 2020

September 11, 2020:

The number of newly detected coronavirus cases in Austria has increased by 934 in the 24 hours between 23:00 tonight and yesterday night. This is the second-highest daily increase since March 26, amidst the lockdown. Even though cases are currently rising fast, it is still important to keep in mind that comparability to March numbers cannot be taken for granted – it is likely that up to five times more undetected cases were present in the spring that were recorded. Nevertheless, the steep increase in cases has led the Austrian government to introduce harsher measures – and other countries to put Vienna on the red list of travel destinations (see below).

Switzerland put Vienna on its red coronavirus list of destinations from which travelers have to quarantine when coming back. The Swiss Confederation also added Paris, several other regions in France, the British Virgin Islands and Czechia on its red list. In the meantime, Germany added the Czech capital Prague and the Swiss city Genève to their risk destinations which necessitate a quarantine upon returning.

The reproduction number (R) of the coronavirus in Austria currently stands at 1.25, according to the AGES Agency for Health and Safe Nutrition. Based on the cases in the 13 days until September 9, the number means a growth of cases of 6.5% per day. Tyrol and Upper Austria have seen the strongest jumps in their R number recently, albeit they start from a lower caseload than Vienna.

Today the federal government announced new restrictions for the entire country, effective Monday, to combat the increasing number of new infections with the coronavirus. Masks will be required in stores, official buildings, schools, and in all places where there is person-to-person contact. Waiters will also be required to wear masks. Indoor events without reserved seating will be limited to 50 people. The maximum number of attendees at outdoor events will be capped at 100 people. Large indoor events with reserved seating will be limited to 1,500 people. If taking place outdoors, a maximum of 3,000 people will be allowed to attend.

The corona traffic light will remain yellow in Vienna, Graz, and Innsbruck.

In a press conference today, Mayor Michael Ludwig and Health Minister Peter Hacker recommended new restrictions for Vienna. Corona tests should be conducted before admission to hospital facilities and nursing homes. Masks should be required in all stores. Masks should also be worn in restaurants and bars and can only be taken off once guests reach their table. Social distancing measures must be implemented at the workplace and in communal spaces. Indoor events will be further restricted.

580 new corona infections, half of which are in Vienna, were reported within the last 24 hours. This brings the number of active cases to 4,820. 205 patients are currently being treated within Austrian hospitals. 39 of which are in intensive care.



September 10, 2020:

From yesterday (11:00) to today (11:00), 664 new coronavirus cases have been registered in Austria, a new record in a month other than March. The number of active cases rose to 4,456, an increase of +384 (+9.4%). 205 patients with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized, an increase of +8 (+4.1%) since yesterday. Of those, 39 are in intensive care, +3 (+8.1%) more than yesterday.



With 387 new cases, more than half of all new infections were detected in Vienna. The City now demands stricter measures from the federal government to contain the virus. City Councilor for Health Peter Hacker (SPÖ) wants to discuss more leeway for imposing stricter measures with the federal government and debate it tomorrow at a session of the city council. A further tightening of mandatory mask-wearing seems likely. Virologist Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl called the pace of more than 500 new cases a day for several days now “worrying” and urged to step up testing, contact tracing and other containment measures.



While Vienna is the current coronavirus hotspot in Austria, other federal states also saw a marked rise in cases in recent days. Lower Austria reported 94 new cases, Tyrol 64 and Upper Austria 50. In Styria, 31 new cases were reported, in Burgenland 13, in Vorarlberg 11, in Salzburg 9 and in Carinthia 5. However, the current trend shows a clear upward shift at least in Vienna, Tyrol and Vorarlberg, when compared to the number of inhabitants.



September 9, 2020:

In the last 24 hours, 563 new cases of coronavirus were detected in Austria – that is the highest daily number since March. The number of active cases rose by +367 (+9.9%) to a total of 4,072. 197 patients with COVID-19 are hospitalized (+27 or +15.9%), of which 36 are getting treatment in an intensive care unit (+8 or +28.6%). Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) has vowed to investigate the reasons for this sharp rise in cases and hospitalizations. If this should prove not to be a one-off statistical outlier, more severe measures will be considered.



The Austrian government has recently presented its own official CoV-Ampel that will guide the country’s regional policies in the coming weeks and months. The Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH), has already set up a simpler version of an Austrian Corona-Ampel in early spring that is still active. The government’s version of the Ampel is based on a number of indicators – from several day incidence of cases to transmission rates, track & trace capacity, hospital capacity and much more. The regional colors are then finally decided by an advisory board every Thursday, with publication on Friday. The CSH’s Ampel instead is solely based on the 14-day incidence of new cases in every region and is also available in English. It currently shows the city of Vienna as well as Rust in Burgenland, Kufstein and Innsbruck in Tyrol in red, as all four cities and regions exceeded the threshold of more than >=10 new cases per 10,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days. Most other regions in Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Styria and Burgenland are yellow (<10 new cases per 10,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days). Only Carinthia is almost entirely green (<1 new cases per 10,000 people in the last 14 days), with selected and more remote regions in Styria, Burgenland, Upper Austria, Lower Austria and Salzburg also in green.



While the current wave of new coronavirus cases cannot be easily compared to the one in spring due to significantly changed circumstances – much more testing and atypical cases found, test & trace, higher hygiene measures, more masks, fewer big congregations – the number of newly detected infections and hospitalisations still correspond visibly to a degree. As can be seen on the graphic below, especially in Vienna the upward trend of active positive cases (in turquoise) can also be seen in the number of people with COVID-19 admitted to the hospital (in orange).



#COVID19at

Ein grafischer Beitrag zur Frage, ob die täglichen Zahlen der Neuinfektionen für die Einschätzung der Infektionssituation eine gewisse Bedeutung haben oder nicht. pic.twitter.com/BIYudkUwqw — Erich Neuwirth (@neuwirthe) September 9, 2020

Neighboring Czechia has reported a new record in new infections on a day. In the past 24 hours, 1,164 new coronavirus infections were registered in the 10.7 million people country. The number of active cases rose to 9,272, with most cases being asymptomatic. As a reaction, Czech authorities made wearing a mask mandatory in all shops and stores as well as at train stations, metro stations and at the airport. Wearing a mask has been obligatory on public transport since the pandemic began. Observers see a connection to the return of travelers from Croatia, traditionally one of the favorite holiday destinations for Czechs. Austria currently does not plan to restrict traveling from or to the Czech Republic, the Austrian Foreign Ministry declared in a statement. Instead, the next steps should be coordinated with Austria’s neighbors, as also laid out in a three parliamentary presidents’ meeting recently in Grafenegg.



Car sales in Austria fell by -30% compared to the same month in the previous year. The share of hybrids in newly sold cars rose to 10%, the share of fully electric vehicles (EVs) increased to 5.4%. At the same time, the number of sold motorbikes increased by 28.3%. Despite reduced sales numbers, there are still longer waiting times for new cars due to disruptions in supply chains and car manufacturing earlier this year.



September 8, 2020:

Supermarkets in Austria had a bumper year so far and are projecting a total annual rise in revenues of 4.5% compared to the previous year. The lockdown in spring with closed restaurants and bars boosted supermarket sales, a trend that solidified even after eateries opened again. But also aside from the COVID-effect, supermarkets have been on a solid growth trajectory for the last decades thanks to the demand for higher quality, organic and other more pricey food items.



September 7, 2020:

Schools in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland open their doors today. As Vienna is marked yellow in the Corona-Ampel, masks for school children are mandatory on hallways and on the way to school, but not in classrooms. However, there is also some discretion for headmasters of schools. Measures like regular letting fresh air in, outdoors teaching, smaller groups and one-way systems on stairs are supposed to further contain the coronavirus. For parents with questions, the Ministry of Education introduced a new info hotline: 0800/21 65 95.



A study conducted by the Medical University of Innsbruck found that the majority of harm that the coronavirus does to lungs are reversible.

290 new corona cases were reported within the last 24 hours, indicating that the number of new infections is declining again. This brings the number of active cases to 3,515, an increase of only +23 (+0.7) since yesterday.



September 6, 2020:

While the number of active cases is still rising in Austria, the crucial reproduction number (R) this Friday fell to 1.02 from 1.14 a week before – that means, one infected person currently infects on average another 1.02 people. Health authorities ascribe falling R to a decrease of new cases from travelers coming back from their holidays in countries with higher infection risk. The reproduction number has been falling in all federal states in recent days: The numbers of Burgenland (1.19), Carinthia (0.70) and Vorarlberg (1.05) can be calculated but have only a very limited significance, because there are so few cases there to begin with. The R numbers in Lower Austria (1.21), Upper Austria (0.83), Salzburg (0.94), Styria (1.15) and Vienna (1.02) are more significant and point to a downward trend in the last week.



Current coronavirus numbers show a rise in active cases that were detected but not a corresponding rise in deaths from COVID-19 so far. The first map below shows the number of new infections in the last 7 days compared to 10,000 people living in each region or district. The second graphic compares the number of actively infected people we know of (in black) to the number of deaths from COVID-19 (in red) – while the first one has been rising again since July, the second one has fallen further even in August.



Neuinfektionen und Todesfälle insgesamt: pic.twitter.com/yoxs9GtxFE — Erich Neuwirth (@neuwirthe) September 5, 2020

September 5, 2020:

The number of active coronavirus cases in Austria rose by +42 (+1.2%) since yesterday, to a total of 3,524 active cases. Currently, 157 people with COVID-19 are hospitalized in Austria, 28 of which are being treated in an intensive care unit.



September 4, 2020:

At a press conference, the federal government presented the final details for the CoV-Ampel (corona traffic light system), which was officially launched today. The system consists of four colors, from green (low risk) to red (very high risk). When the traffic light is yellow: Masks must be worn inside stores, restaurants, schools, and at events. Events with reserved seating arrangements will be limited to 2,500 people. Events without reserved seats will be limited to 100 people. To host events with 500 or more people, one must first submit a request at the respective district office. Outdoor events with reserved seats are limited to 5000 people. Without reserved seats, outdoor events are limited to 100 attendees. When seated, guests are not required to wear a mask. When the light is green, hygiene guidelines will still be enforced. The system will be re-evaluated once a week. The newly announced measures will go into effect on September 11. Right now, the district of Kufstein in Tyrol as well as the cities Linz, Graz and Vienna are on yellow; all other regions and districts are on green. Further information is available on the CoV-Ampel website.

Currently, there are 3,481 active corona cases within Austria, 1,797 of which are in Vienna. 357 new infections were reported in the last 24 hours. 128 patients are being treated in Austrian hospitals, 28 of which are in intensive care. So far, 727 people have died from or with the coronavirus.



September 3, 2020:

The government’s so-called “CoV-Ampel” (corona traffic light warning system) will be officially launched this Friday. The system is meant to show the coronavirus risk level down to districts and regions, with colors ranging from green (low risk) to red (very high risk) with yellow (medium risk) and orange (high risk) in between. The consequences of the colors, however, are not spelled out in detail and can differ from district to district or region. The colors of the Ampel will be determined by an advisory board of experts in health and public policy, in consultation with experts in law. According to Austrian daily OE24, one district (Kufstein) as well as three cities (Vienna, Linz and Graz) will have a yellow light, the other districts will have green light. Once the Ampel was launched, the 19-headed advisory board will convene every Thursday to assess the situation and change the colors where necessary. Enacting concrete measures and recommendations will then still be down to local authorities and politicians. Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) has already vowed that the government will follow the advisory board’s lead. The Ampel will also take special consideration of large events – outdoor events with up to 5,000 or 10,000 people are allowed since September 1, but only under very special conditions.



The three parliamentary presidents of neighboring countries Austria, Czechia and Slovakia vowed that border closures should be avoided in the future when dealing with the coronavirus. The meeting in Grafenegg, 50 km outside of Vienna, took place on August 30, two days before Hungary closed its borders to foreign citizens. All three presidents – who are also MPs of the ruling parties of their respective countries – underlined that ad hoc border closures should not be the measures of choice when dealing with a second wave of coronavirus cases. They also emphasized that good and regular coordination and cooperation between neighbors was paramount to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Czechia and Austria recorded between 200 and 500 new cases per day in recent weeks, Slovakia between 50 and 100. While the total amount of cases is slowly rising in all countries, these numbers cannot easily be compared to those of the spring, when testing was significantly less widespread and test & trace was not established yet as a practice.



A total of 423 new cases of the coronavirus have been detected in Austria in the last 24 hours, half of which were found in Vienna. Active cases rose by a more modest +51 to a total of 3,466. 161 patients are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, of which 29 are treated in an intensive care unit. More than 14,000 tests have been performed on one day. During the last two weeks, daily testing in Austria has almost doubled (from an average of about 7,000 during the summer to the 12,000-14,000 on most days now).



September 2, 2020:

Today the federal government presented new general recommendations to combat the spread of the coronavirus. For the fall and winter the government’s motto is: “As much freedom as possible and as few restrictions as necessary.” Whenever the minimum safety distance to others cannot be kept, one should wear a mask. Private parties and celebrations should be limited to 25 people. Rooms should be aired regularly by opening windows. The inside temperature should not go above 23 degrees Celsius.

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer announced that officials will now monitor quarantine violations more strictly. Anyone who violates quarantine regulations will suffer consequences. As of now, there have been 343 violations to the mandated quarantine rules.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz assured that he will enforce stricter measures if need be, especially in regions or districts where there are corona-clusters or the number of new infections increases dramatically. If this were to be the case, the government will most likely tighten restrictions for restaurants, bars, and parties.

Kurz also predicted that the Austrian economy will record “significant growth” next year.

The number of newly reported corona infections in Austria within the past 24 hours is above 400. This brings the number of active cases to 3,415. Currently, 149 patients are being treated in Austrian hospitals. 30 of which are in intensive care. In total, 727 people have from or with COVID-19.



September 1, 2020:

In the month of August, more than 422,000 people in Austria were unemployed an another 452,000 people where on short-time working schemes (Kurzarbeit).

Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) gave a press conference today updating the population on the coronavirus situation. “It’s possible that there will be a vaccine already in January,” Anschober said. In the best case, he expects 600,000 doses for 300,000 people around year’s end. With the first vaccine batch, professionals in the health care sector and at care centers should be vaccinated. Later in the year, everybody who wants to be vaccinated should get the option. The minister hopes that up to five vaccinations from different producers will be available throughout the next year. Hygiene measures, wearing masks, good ventilation (open windows) for rooms and more vaccinations for the seasonal flu will continue to be important pillars for containing the virus over the coming months, Anschober underlined. Concerning current coronavirus numbers – the number of active cases in Austria rose from 1,300 in July to 3,300 at the moment – Anschober said: “This number is too high too soon. The virus was never gone, but is more visible again.” However, as long as the clusters can be tracked and traced, this would still be manageable, the minister emphasized. The coronavirus “traffic light system” (Corona-Ampel) that has been prepared and tested by the government over the last couple of months will also be activated this week. Different colors for regions and districts will activate new regional measures. But, Anschober stressed, even “a red light doesn’t mean a new lockdown.”



For length, clarity and loading times, we decided to split off the timeline of what happened in recent months into several separate articles:



– The Coronavirus in Austria & Vienna | What Happened in March

– The Coronavirus in Austria & Vienna | What Happened in April

– The Coronavirus in Austria & Vienna | What Happened in May

– The Coronavirus in Austria & Vienna | What Happened in June

– The Coronavirus in Austria & Vienna | What Happened in July

– The Coronavirus in Austria & Vienna | What Happened in August

Numbers

As of today, September 16, 2020, the situation in Austria according to the Ministry of Health is as follows:

People tested: 1,379,839

– of which in Vienna: 377,002

Daily tests: 10,573



Confirmed cases: 35,073 (+768 cases (+2.2%) since yesterday)

– of which in Vienna: 11,665

Active cases: 6,660 (+466 cases (+7.5%) since yesterday)

– of which in Vienna: 3,605 (+179 cases (+5%) since yesterday)

Total hospitalized: 321 (+28 cases (+9.6%) since yesterday)

– of which in Vienna: 176

In intensive care: 54 (+5 cases (+10.2%) since yesterday)

– of which in Vienna: 31



Recovered: 27,655 (+301 cases (+1.1%) since yesterday)

– of which in Vienna: 7,851

Deceased: 758 (+1 case (+0.1%) since yesterday)

– of which in Vienna: 230

The Ministry of Health has also developed a COVID-19 dashboard with details on the coronavirus outbreak in Austria, listing for example affected regions, age groups, gender and status of the cases.

The privately organized coronatracker also provides up-to-date information on the virus in Austria (in German).

Austrian tech & startup media house Trending Topics has also set up a comprehensive tracking board for the coronavirus in Austria (in German).

Resources

The City of Vienna has compiled comprehensive information on questions and answers regarding coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease in English.

The Austrian Ministry of Health has put together FAQs on the coronavirus and also provides material to download on how to protect yourself and others from the disease, also in English.

Furthermore, the ministry will constantly update its German language website with information on the number of people tested and cases of COVID-19 in Austria.

Hotlines

Health advice by telephone: 1450

If you show symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, breathing difficulties) or fear that you are ill, stay at home and dial health number 1450 for further procedures (diagnostic clarification).

Coronavirus hotline AGES: +43 0800 555 621

The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) answers questions about the coronavirus (general information on transmission, symptoms, prevention) 24 hours a day at +43 0800 555 621.

VKI hotline for travel law questions: +43 0800 201 211

For legal questions concerning trips that have already been booked (e.g. whether a trip can be cancelled free of charge), the experts of the Association for Consumer Information (VKI) provide advice free of charge from Monday to Sunday between 09:00 and 15:00 at +43 0800 201 211.

How to wash your hands, properly

The World Health Organization (WHO) as well as national and international health organizations stress how crucial proper hand-hygiene is to slow the spread of the disease.

Make sure that you and everybody around you clean their hands regularly, properly (20 seconds or more) and with soap – soap actually kills the virus.

1/25 Part 1 – Why does soap work so well on the SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus and indeed most viruses? Because it is a self-assembled nanoparticle in which the weakest link is the lipid (fatty) bilayer. A two part thread about soap, viruses and supramolecular chemistry #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/OCwqPjO5Ht — Palli Thordarson (@PalliThordarson) March 8, 2020

Reduce physical contact (instead of handshake do an elbow bunch or Vulcan greeting, for instance) where possible.

Live longer and prosper. pic.twitter.com/iQ4gPtXT3Z — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) March 5, 2020

We will keep updating this page as new developments unfold. Keep safe, keep informed and live long and prosper 🖖!