Austria should return to “normal operation” by June 30th. “The pandemic is going, the virus stays, and we will be able to deal with it,” said Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) in a press conference on Wednesday. Epidemiologist Gerald Gartlehner also agrees. From an epidemiological point of view, it is okay to abolish the measures. “Now it’s time to return to normal,” he says in an interview with Bianca Ambros in PULS 24. The Austrian population will have to learn to live with the virus.
High immunity in the population
The number of infections is currently as high as it was in June last year and the immunity that the population has built up through vaccinations and infections that have gone through is very comprehensive. “As a population, we can deal with the virus very well,” says Gartlehner. It is therefore justified to withdraw the measures. Should new virus mutations emerge, they would of course have to be reassessed. It is important that wastewater monitoring continues. This allows new variants to be recognized quickly.
Mask requirement in the hospital can be justified
Masks are currently still mandatory in vulnerable areas such as hospitals or nursing homes. It should end on April 30th. Whether such a measure is still needed there can be decided on a case-by-case basis. If a hospital department needs a mask requirement to protect once morest the flu or the RS virus, it can introduce it for itself. Therefore, there is no need for uniform measures.
Other vaccinations possible
Gerald Gartlehner currently does not consider an annual corona booster vaccination for the entire population to be necessary. However, risk groups or older people may need a booster vaccination in autumn to be well prepared for a possible new wave.
