SPÖ chairwoman Pamela Rendi-Wagner has today voiced strong criticism of the suspension of compulsory vaccination decided by the government. In a press conference, she accused the turquoise-green coalition of a “zigzag course” that was “a very serious mistake”.
For his part, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl repeated the position that the compulsory vaccination law must be completely dropped. Meanwhile, Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) has presented the draft for the necessary regulation.
No penalties for the time being
After the approval of the main committee planned for tomorrow, it will probably be the first regulation of the new Minister of Health, who was sworn in on Monday. It succinctly stipulates that the main provisions of the Covid 19 Vaccination Act – compulsory vaccination from the age of 18, penalties – are suspended until May 31st. The government announced yesterday that a new decision will be made in three months.
According to the law, which came into force on February 5, violations should have been punished from mid-March. However, such an encroachment on fundamental rights would be disproportionate with the currently prevailing omicron variant, according to the expert commission, whose report was the basis for the turquoise-green decision.
SPÖ boss complains regarding confusion
“No one knows anymore,” stated Rendi-Wagner in view of the government’s actions. First it was said “vaccination obligation yes”, now it means “vaccination obligation no”. At first it said “test yes”, now it says “test no”, Rendi-Wagner referred to considerations on limiting the free tests.
While Austria now has the highest number of infections in the pandemic, all rules are being thrown overboard. Above all, the SPÖ chairwoman missed an answer to the question of how Austria might get safely into the fall.
Rendi-Wagner sees the government’s greatest task as increasing the currently very low vaccination rate. She wants to stick to the tests, and she still thinks protective measures are necessary. Specifically, the SPÖ chairwoman would like more masks indoors and for the night gastro 2 or 3 G.
Kickl promises further “resistance”
FPÖ party leader Herbert Kickl emphasized once more that he was happy that compulsory vaccination (“this madness”) was stopped for at least three months. “But I will only be satisfied when this vaccination law is off the table,” he repeated at a press conference.
In the direction of the ÖVP provincial governors, who originally strongly advocated compulsory vaccination, but had recently suspended it, he said: “If I look at the turns of the ÖVP provincial governors in particular, they soon look like the structure of a corkscrew. In any case, the FPÖ will continue to “resolutely resist” the obligation to vaccinate.
Gartlehner for compulsory vaccination in health care
The epidemiologist Gerald Gartlehner from Danube University Krems said that compulsory vaccination would not have helped in the omicron wave, but he called for compulsory vaccination in the healthcare system.
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