The Austrian government is taking action in the fight against the corona virus. From Wednesday, everyone should wear protective masks when shopping. In the further course, the mask requirement is to be extended to all situations in which there is contact with people, such as today.at reported.
First, the masks should be distributed and worn in supermarkets. The protection does not apply to the wearers of the masks, but to the risk groups. In the medium term, this mouth and nose protection should be worn wherever people go by.
Federal Chancellor Kurz emphasized that this was by no means a substitute for keeping a distance. The point here is not to protect yourself from infection, but rather not to infect others – this ensures that transmission in the air is not so easy. “I am fully aware that masks are something alien to our culture,” it will be a major change.
Fears expressed
Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler appealed to the population to believe those experts who feared “worse scenarios”, the news portal continues. These include quantum physicist Hanns-Christoph Nägerl from the University of Innsbruck. He recently addressed quantum physicist Jörg Schmiedemann and mathematician Norbert Mauser in an open letter to the Austrian Minister of Science, Heinz Fassmann, on how oe24.at reported.
Austria introduces mandatory masks
“There is a catastrophe looming that will mean infinite human misery in addition to the economic damage,” Nägerl is quoted as saying. Even before it was introduced, he classified the mask requirement as “long overdue”. He also calls for more consistent enforcement of social distancing, even if this means a general curfew. “Better a short and painful shutdown than an eternal litany that will cost us much more economically and humanly,” Nägerl continues.
Masks have to be bought
The masks are supposed to be a so-called mouth-nose protection. The capacities of particularly high-quality masks that health personnel need should not be touched for this. People have to pay for the masks themselves. “A mask like this doesn’t cost much, that won’t be the issue,” said Kurz.
As of Monday, 8 a.m., there were 8813 confirmed infections with Sars-CoV-2 in Austria. Almost 1,000 people were cared for in hospitals because of the coronavirus-induced disease Covid-19, 193 of them intensively. The death toll rose to more than 100 on Monday.
(read)
– .
