Today in Austria:
[ul]
[li] Following closely on the heels of its landmark statistical study of coronavirus infections, Austria is set to carry out a second such study, this time with 2800 randomly selected participants from across the country. The goal of this study is to determine how fast the virus is spreading. The two studies are unique in continental Europe in that they are testing a representative sample of the entire population, not just those already suspected of having the disease, and so give a better idea of how many infections have gone undetected or unreported. (Analysis of data from the first study showed that Austria probably had around 28,500 infections, compared to the 8600 cases confirmed by selective testing.) The second study begins tomorrow morning and the results should be available by the end of the month.[/li]
[li] Yesterday the government faced criticisms from the media and opposition parties about the legality and constitutionality of its pandemic response measures, particularly after the chancellor brushed these concerns off with the excuse that it was more important to act quickly to contain the spread of the virus. To avoid further fallout, today the health minister announced the formation of a committee of legal experts who will be tasked with examining the legal and human rights questions of the government’s recent actions. The committee includes the former president of the Supreme Administrative Court of Austria.[/li]
[li] Doctors in Austria are warning of collateral damage as a result of all non-urgent medical procedures being postponed, as well as people generally avoiding hospitals, clinics, and practices rather than seeking diagnosis and treatment for potentially serious problems. For example, cardiologists at one hospital in Vienna report that they are normally overwhelmed by walk-in patients complaining of heart problems, but these days they see only one or two patients per day. Doctors with their own practices are calling on the government to make up their shortfall in income this year; many of them are currently seeing 90% fewer patients than usual.[/li]
[li] With the reopening of some shops yesterday, attendance at state-run day-care centres has doubled, though in absolute terms the numbers remain low: for example, in Vienna, only 1.8% of the children who normally attend day-care are currently attending.[/li]
[li] The vice chancellor, who is also the country’s sport minister, today announced plans to allow certain sports starting on 1 May. These include outdoor sports that don’t involve close contact between the participants, including golf, equestrian sports, tennis, certain track and field events, and shooting. Professional soccer is a special exception: teams in the national league will be able to resume play, with the proviso that players be tested for the virus before every match; tests must be carried out at the league’s own expense. All sports must be played without live spectators, though professional sports can be televised. For those exercising alone outdoors, new social distance rules are to be observed: joggers must keep five metres’ distance from other people, runners ten metres, and cyclists twenty.[/li]
[li] It’s now once again permitted to use public transportation for “recreational” purposes (i.e., to take a bus, tram, or subway to a park so that you can go for a walk there).[/li]
[li] The states of Tyrol and Carinthia have flown in 122 temporary foreign workers from Romania to help with the harvest. They will, of course, be subject to a mandatory two-week quarantine. The state of Burgenland has likewise flown in 100 care workers from Croatia, but has secured from the federal government a special exception to the normal quarantine rules.[/li]
[li] The Czech Republic has announced that the Czech–Austrian border will remain closed until at least the end of May.[/li]
[li] Current statistics: 14,321 confirmed infections, 393 deaths, 8098 recovered. [/li][/ul]