For almost three years, passengers on Wiener Linien had to wear an FFP2 mask. That will now change on March 1st.
VIENNA. Vienna is the last federal state to have maintained the obligation to wear masks on public transport. Passengers must wear an FFP2 mask on buses, trams and subways. Until now – because the mask requirement only applies up to and including February 28th. From March 1st there will no longer be an obligation to wear a mask on public transport. Of course, this is still possible on a voluntary basis. The front doors of the buses and old tram sets will also be reopened.
What do you say about the mask requirement falling?
At the same time, the mask requirement in pharmacies also falls. An FFP2 mask then only has to be worn in healthcare facilities (hospital, doctor’s office, rehabilitation clinic) and in old people’s and nursing homes. In addition, the PCR test is no longer mandatory in hospitals and care facilities. The visitor restrictions of three visitors per day per patient will also be lifted. The mask requirement in hospitals and old people’s and nursing homes will remain in place until April 30th, according to the federal government’s timetable.
50 euros fine for mask refusers
Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) announced at the beginning of February that the predominantly stricter “Viennese Way” would end on February 28th. He and City Councilor for Health Peter Hacker (SPÖ) had previously consulted with a panel of experts on how to proceed after the federal government had announced that all CoV measures would end at the end of June.
The most hotly discussed was the mask requirement. In Vienna, this has now been mandatory for almost three years in the public transport of Wiener Linien. Not all Viennese liked that. Numerous violations of the mask requirement were recorded and punished with a fine of 50 euros.
On the subject:
Three years since the first coronavirus case in Vienna
Vienna lifts all special corona rules
Wiener Linien has imposed almost 8,000 fines since the summer
