- Title: 253 AT COVID-19 Restrictions ease
- Date: 28th April 2020
- Description:Austrian restaurants and hotels set to reopen as lockdown restrictions eased According to Rudolf Anschober, Austrian Minister for Health, the factual background of the ease of restrictions is a decrease in the number of infections. The Austrian government said that the tight measures will be replaced by new rules: going out is generally allowed again, but it is still important to keep the minimum distance of 1 meter. Even small events with up to 10 people will be possible again. A maximum of 30 people will be allowed at funerals. The new rules will apply until the end of June and will then will be re-evaluated. Incidentally, the limit of 10 people does not apply to demonstrations. A separate legal basis is planned here in the national council. Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger presented the further timetable for the opening of the catering trade and the hotel industry. Other tourist and leisure facilities such as hotels, zoos, sights, swimming pools may also open on 29 May, provided that a minimum distance of 1 meter can be maintained. Animal parks outdoors can be visited again from 15 May. Köstinger also introduced new rules for opening restaurants. Service personnel must wear mouth-nose protection (NMS). Shotlist - SOUNDBITE (German) Rudolf Anschober, Austrian Minister for Health: "After all these evaluations from the weekend there is therefore the green light for the opening steps. This secured, gradually controlled opening can continue." - SOUNDBITE (German) Karl Nehammer, Austrian Interior Affairs: "The minister of health has announced it, I can clarify that the exit restrictions, which were certainly one of the most drastic measures we have seen in the Second republic, will end on 30 April at midnight [to 1 May]." - VS News conference - SOUNDBITE (German) Elisabeth Köstinger, Austrian Minister for Tourism: "But it will probably also need this discipline if we gradually step up the country, social and economic life again. You know, especially the gastronomy, the travel industry, tourism are one of the strongest sectors that are affected by the effects of the coronavirus crisis, some businesses have been closed since March, the whole industry put the brakes on it." 01:02 - SOUNDBITE (German) Elisabeth Köstinger, Austrian Minister for Tourism: "Nevertheless, we can of course give you an outlook today, the positive developments and the falling numbers of infections, in consultation with the minister of health, will enable us, above all, to start up gastronomy and tourism again." 01:23 -SOUNDBITE (German) Elisabeth Köstinger, Austrian Minister for Tourism: "The restaurants will open on 15 May, and in a further step accommodation companies will be able to open on 29 May. We are one of the first countries in the EU to act very quickly and consistently on the one hand, with the help of the population and a very disciplined behavior can now gradually come back with a gradual opening into a perfectly normal life, into a normal everyday life." 01:56 - SOUNDBITE (German) Elisabeth Köstinger, Austrian Minister for Tourism: "In detail, this means that the restaurant will open again on 15 May, that the opening times will be from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. For guests, rules apply that four adults can sit at each table, plus their children. There is a minimum distance of 1 meter between the groups of guests. Every company can organize and design it according to its own circumstances in its premises. The minimum distance does not apply to the guests sitting together at a table, but here we would like to appeal to personal responsibility and self-protection." 02:46 - SOUNDBITE (German) Elisabeth Köstinger, Austrian Minister for Tourism: "Before visiting a restaurant, a table should usually be reserved to avoid crowds and queues. In future there will be no free choice of seats, but also an appropriate allocation in the restaurant. Employees who have contact with the guests must be equipped with a facevmask or a face visor, this also applies to the garden, but does not apply to the kitchen and warehouse or other areas where there is no guest contact. Of course, guests do not have to wear a face mask at the table, but again the recommendation from us to take care of your own health."
- Collection: ORF
- Genre:News
- Producer:ORF
- Transmission Date:28/04/2020
- Decade: 2020s