© Hollandse Hoogte / Roos Trommelen
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Source: Telegraph
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Just before the start of the ski season, Austria has again adjusted the entry rules. From now on you must be able to present proof of a booster shot or a negative test of a maximum of 72 hours old.
On Friday, the Austrian tourism office reported that ‘the winter holiday with clear rules’ would start in the winter sports country par excellence. Just a few hours later, things were up and running again. The Ministry of Health announced Friday evening that anyone entering the country must be able to demonstrate a negative PCR test or a booster shot to avoid quarantine.
Austria is thus trying to stem the advance of the omikron variant. The quarantine should only be ended after a negative test. In addition, you must complete additional paperwork before departure. “These stricter entry rules pose significant challenges, especially for people traveling abroad during the Christmas holidays. However, they are currently needed to prevent the spread of omikron in Austria,” said Minister Wolfgang Mückstein.
That’s just news to many travelers. Now that the worst measures after the end of the lockdown in Austria seemed to be over and the Christmas holidays in primary school started a week earlier, many people actually booked a trip to the snow. Without a booster, they now have to do an expensive test before departure.
Pregnant women and people who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons are exempt from those requirements. Other rules also apply to children: children up to the age of 12 do not have to show corona proof.
‘Holiday Ninja Pass’
The entry rules are separate from the rules that apply to, for example, entering a cafe or a museum. You must be vaccinated or recovered, testing is no longer possible. Stricter booster rules also apply to the Christmas holidays: a single Janssen injection is no longer valid from 3 January, other injections are good for a green QR code for a maximum of 270 days.
12-15 year olds can test three times a week and receive a Holiday Ninja Pass that allows them to enter the ski lifts, restaurants and other facilities. That measure was announced on Friday morning, just hours before the new entry rules.
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