According to a survey by the Institute for Marketing Management at the University of Economics and Business (WU), 51 percent of Austrians are in favor of opening restaurants in mid-March, and another 37 percent want to make this dependent on the number of infections. Only twelve percent are currently against it, shows the survey of 1,000 Internet-savvy people. “The pressure to unlock the catering trade is great,” says Dieter Scharitzer, professor at the Institute for Marketing Management.
Scharitzer has carried out the survey in a similar form for the fourth time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Like other surveys, the survey series shows an increasing willingness to vaccinate. 60 percent of Austrians are currently ready to be vaccinated. Two thirds of those surveyed believe that vaccination can successfully combat the corona pandemic. 45 percent consider the green vaccination card to be a good measure if there is a vaccine for everyone. 50 percent reject it, as this would be tantamount to compulsory vaccination.
Corona summit over easing
The government will decide on Monday on possible easing of the coronavirus measures. The decision is a delicate one: business, culture and sport are pushing for opening steps, medical experts warn against such steps. The number of infections has recently risen significantly, in the east the more contagious virus variant B.1.1.7 has spread strongly.
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Confidence in government management collapsed
Confidence in the government’s CoV management has recently collapsed quite dramatically. While 58 percent trusted the government in November and 57 percent in January, it was only 40 percent at the end of February. Scharitzer points out, however, that other political developments such as the investigation against Finance Minister Gernot Blümel and ex-Justice Minister Brandstätter (both ÖVP) could have played a part. However, the survey shows that now more than half of Austrians (52 percent) believe that the federal government has failed in corona management.
After the long lockdown, people would look for prospects, according to Scharitzer, and in general the mood is much worse than it was before Christmas. Now only 59 percent see their own future as positive, in October it was 73 percent, in November 68 percent. The proportion of people who assume that the pandemic will have negative consequences for society has risen from 34 percent in April 2020 to 63 percent in November to 81 percent. Many are only now realizing that the pandemic will not pass so quickly, says Scharitzer.
The long time with high numbers of infections affects the people affected, but not the subjective risk perception of the Austrians. In the meantime, 57 percent of their acquaintances have someone with a positive test (in April this was 18%; in October 29%, in November 49%). But only 26 percent rate their own risk of infection as high, compared with 34 to 38 percent in the autumn of the previous year.
Hanke for opening the pub gardens
In an interview with the city newspaper “Sprich!”, Councilor for Finance Peter Hanke (SPÖ) spoke out in favor of easing the catering trade from mid-March. “As soon as the spring weather gives us warm temperatures, the pub gardens that are so close to our hearts should open again,” says Hanke.
