Austria-wide. At 7:00 a.m. 11,525 people in Austria were demonstrably infected with the new corona virus. Most cases occurred in Tyrol with 2,633, followed by Upper Austria (1,868) and Lower Austria (1,831). Throughout Austria (as of 9:30 a.m.) 168 people died from or with the virus. Across Austria, the total number of infections with the novel corona virus confirmed by laboratory tests rose by 3.8 percent from Thursday 3:00 p.m. to Friday 3:00 p.m. to 11,383.
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There was a 7.9 percent increase in intensive care patients in a 24-hour comparison, compared to 227 on Thursday mornings. There was only a slight change in the number of hospitalized patients: compared to Thursday mornings (1,057 people with Covid-19 in the hospital) by 1.6 percent more.
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The strict measures in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic in Austria could be relaxed. Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) announced on Friday that timetables for a slow start-up will be presented next week. The reason for any loosening is that the number of new infections no longer increases sharply.
Kogler did not specify a time for a possible loosening. The “top priority is health”. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) said in the National Council that the experts would look at the numbers on Sunday. If they gave it up, they would announce on Monday where it would be possible to resume operations. Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) warned against too much optimism. Nobody should believe that they can go back to playing soccer or going to the pub again: “With our actions today, we decide what it will be like in a hospital in two weeks,” said the Minister of Health.
Anschober appealed to remain disciplined despite the recent positive development. “Otherwise everything can tip us over,” said the minister. But: “There is no room inside for an Easter party.” However, the Ministry of Health initially assumes that the number of known infections will only increase moderately in the next few days. Anschober also considered it positive that the number of people suffering from Covid 19 in hospitals is currently only growing slightly. In the coming week, it will be “on the relatively safe side”.
There was also good news from Vorarlberg: the quarantine for the Arlberg region and districts of Nenzing (district Bludenz) was lifted on Friday. Governor Markus Wallner (ÖVP) informed on Friday, 0.00 a.m., all locals can leave their places again. Strict departure management applies to the approximately 1,000 seasonal workers who are still in Lech.
There was a turning point in retail: on Friday afternoon, the large grocery chains Rewe, Spar, Hofer, Lidl and Metro announced that they would restrict the sale of their non-food range from Holy Saturday (April 11). Toys continue to be sold. The traders involved spoke of a “solidarity act”.
41,000 dead in Europe
In Europe, the death toll from Covid 19 diseases rose to almost 41,000, according to the latest calculation by the AFP news agency. Europe is the continent most affected by the pandemic, with over three quarters of deaths reported from Italy (around 15,000), Spain (around 11,000) and France (around 5,400). 14,681 people died in Italy – more than in any other country in the world.
According to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, around 1,200 people died in Europe’s most populous state, Germany. On Thursday, the number of infections officially reported worldwide exceeded the one million mark.
In the United States, there were approximately 250,000 known infections and more than 6,000 deaths by Friday midday (local time) from Johns Hopkins University. Around 35,000 soldiers are deployed to fight the virus. About 19,700 National Guard soldiers assist local authorities to curb the spread of the virus, the Ministry of Defense said on Friday. Another 15,000 were involved in setting up field hospitals in particularly affected areas.
China commemorates the victims of the corona pandemic with a nationwide mourning day on Saturday, nationwide the flags are set to half mast. At the end of December, cases of lung disease, now known as Covid-19, were reported for the first time in the capital Wuhan. In China alone, more than 3,200 people have died from the coronavirus, according to official figures, and there were more than 50,000 officially confirmed fatalities worldwide by Friday.
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