HEPL blog series: Country Responses to the Covid19 Pandemic
Starting on March 11 a basket of shut-down measures was phased in, aimed at shielding the health care system. By the end of April, 145 laws or orders have been changed or newly issued, and about 60 government press conferences have been held. On May 1, new orders were issued to regulate behavior during the second phase of the pandemic – i.e. when shops, some schools and services including religious services open-up, and care homes may receive visitors. Restaurants and hotels will follow on May 15. The law requests people to keep physical distance and to wear masks in all public places. Public gatherings are permitted for 10 persons, leaving art in despair. There are discussions about permitting “ghost-football” as well as car races without visitors. Debates about contact tracing loom amid advice to use an NGO-developed “StoppCoronaApp”. Many loosening measures will be detailed and enforced at the level of the “Bundesländer”. Regional policy makers abstain from authorizing regionalized opening rules, saying that they prefer federal guidelines to follow.
For more information see: https://www.cambridge.org/core/blog/2020/04/10/austrias-response-to-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
