In the restaurants in Austria, not only the outside areas but also the interior rooms can be visited – there, however, only a lower occupancy is allowed. A negative corona test, complete corona vaccination protection or a survived infection is a prerequisite for visiting bars, hotels and cultural events. This proof is not required in museums.
In Austria, around 40 percent of the 8.9 million inhabitants have now received at least one corona vaccine dose. The seven-day incidence in Austria is currently 65 – and thus below that of Germany with 79.
Quite a few customers will soon be seated in this Viennese café
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The relaxation of the Corona restrictions is welcomed by the hospitality industry, but it also poses challenges. The catering industry lost a lot of workers during the lockdown and many restaurants were now desperately looking for new employees, reported the Austrian news agency APA, citing the Vienna Chamber of Commerce.
Free corona tests for vacationers
From next week, the Alpine republic will also be offering free corona tests for foreign guests in order to stimulate tourism. This possibility will exist in public test streets, pharmacies or directly in the hotel or inn, said Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger in Vienna. Every host, every hotel, every business can offer self-tests for guests. This should also enable spontaneous restaurant visits. In this case, the on-site test is only valid for the duration of the stay in the restaurant. “It is up to the local operator to decide whether to offer these tests,” said Köstinger.
The system of entry tests and other security requirements have proven to be very effective. According to scientific studies, there has not been a single case of infection in the model region of Vorarlberg, in which the gastronomy has been open with access tests since March, said the minister. As in the previous year, employees in the catering and hotel industries were given access to free PCR tests to ensure the safety of guests.
No forced quarantine upon entry
In parallel to the opening of restaurants, culture and sports facilities, many countries – including Germany – will no longer be subject to quarantine when entering the country this Wednesday. However, those entering the country must be tested, vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. Stricter rules apply to regions with virus variants and to areas of high incidence. If a test cannot be presented, it must be taken in Austria within 24 hours. Electronic registration is also required before each entry.
In this Salzburg cinema, preparations for the opening are in full swing
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Finance Minister Gernot Blümel assumes that with the now comprehensive opening, the economic performance in Austria will be back at the pre-crisis level in just a few months. Labor Minister Martin Kocher confidently said that the situation on the labor market will also relax.
French restaurants open up outside spaces
After a significant drop in the number of corona infections, France is also loosening its requirements: for the first time in six and a half months, cafes and restaurants are allowed to reopen their outdoor areas. In addition, “non-essential” shops and department stores open, as do museums, cinemas and theaters.
With a view to the opening steps, President Emmanuel Macron warned to continue to exercise caution in the corona pandemic. “The numbers are on the right track,” Macron told reporters when they visited a Parisian café. But it is right to be careful.
The nocturnal curfew will not apply across France from Wednesday until 9 p.m., two hours later than before. The seven-day incidence in France is falling sharply, most recently it was 140. Three weeks ago it was more than twice as high. In France, a good 20 million citizens have now received at least one corona vaccine dose, which corresponds to almost a third of the population.
kle / nob (afp, dpa)
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