The 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Austria on 25 February, a 24-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman travelling from Lombardy, Italy, who were treated at a hospital in Innsbruck.[2][3][4][5] As of 7 April 2020,[update] Austria has reported 12,519 cases of which 243 have died and 4,046 have recovered.[6]
Background
On 12 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019. This cluster was initially linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan City. However, some of those first cases with laboratory confirmed results had no link to the market, and the source of the epidemic is unknown.[7][8]
Unlike SARS of 2003, the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 [9][10] has been much lower, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[11][9] COVID-19 typically appears with about seven days of flu-like symptoms followed by some people progressing to symptoms of a viral pneumonia requiring admission to hospital.[9] From 19 March, COVID-19 was no longer classified as a "High consequence infectious disease".[10]
Timeline
On 25 February 2020, Austria confirmed the first two cases of COVID-19, a 24-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman from Lombardy, Italy tested positive and were treated at a hospital in Innsbruck, Tyrol.[12][13][14][15]
On 27 February, a 72-year-old man in Vienna had been in the Krankenanstalt Rudolfstiftung hospital for 10 days with flu symptoms before he tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. He was then transferred to Kaiser-Franz-Josef Hospital.[16][17][18][19] A couple who tested positive and their two children who were showing symptoms were admitted to Kaiser-Franz-Josef Hospital. The family had previously been on holiday in Lombardy, Italy.[16][17] On 28 February, one of the children, a 15-year-old boy tested positive. Due to the illness, precautions were taken at his high school as 4 teachers and 23 students born between 2003 and 2005 were sent home for isolation.[20]
Beginning from 1 March, authorities in Germany and the Nordic countries begun identifying Tyrolean ski resort town of Ischgl as a major coronavirus hotspot. Several hundred infections were eventually traced back to the town with transmissions having occurred from late February on. After initially playing down the risks, Tyrolean authorities placed the entire town in quarantine on 13 March.[21]
On 10 March 2020, the government announced that all universities would close their classes at the latest by 16 March. All outdoor events with more than 500 people and all indoor events with more than 100 people were cancelled. All children older than 14 years old were ordered to stay at home, starting 15 March, with the younger children starting 17 March . This will apply until 4 April.[22] Travel restrictions for people coming from Italy are established. The government asked the general public to avoid social contact and announced even further restrictions to be made soon.[23]
On 12 March 2020, Austria confirmed the first death of COVID-19, a 69-year-old man from Vienna died in Vienna's Kaiser-Franz-Josef Hospital.[24]
By 13 March 2020, there were 422 confirmed cases.[25]
Potential COVID-19 infected persons should under no circumstances go to a doctor or to an outpatient clinic to reduce the risk of infection. They were asked to call the Healthcare number 1450 instead. On 15 March, there were about 70 times as many calls as on other Sundays before the pandemic.[26]
On 15 March, a ban was also announced for public gatherings of more than five people, and restaurants were ordered to close beginning on 17 March.[27] In addition, Günther Platter, the governor of Tyrol, announced a one-week lockdown for the whole province.[28][29] Residents in Tyrol were required to remain in their homes except for necessary reasons such as purchasing food or medicine, visiting the doctor, withdrawing cash, or walking a dog.[28]
As of 16 March, nationwide, homes may only be left for one of the following reasons:[30]
necessary professional activities
necessary purchases (groceries or medication)
assisting other people
activities outside, alone or in the company of people living in the same household
Officials stated that those restrictions are being actively enforced by the police.[citation needed]
On 27 March, Federal Minister of Health Rudolf Anschober announced that, in Austria, the peak of the pandemic is expected to be between mid of April and mid of May 2020.[31]
On 30 March, the Austrian government announced that everyone entering a store has to wear a face mask effective 6 April.[32]
Reported laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths[33]
(*) The big increase of 23 deaths on 28 May was a result of adding additional deaths occurring in March/April in Vienna. 28 May in itself saw no additional deaths.
(**) Break in series, now using daily morning updates from the Interior Ministry (May 30 onwards). Because of the accurate new source (Interior Ministry instead of the Health Ministry), the daily increase between May 29-30 was not 110 cases as shown in the table, but 30 new cases.
(***) The big increase of 10 deaths on 7 September was a result of adding additional deaths occurring between March and September and being re-classified as COVID-related deaths.
As of 7 April 2020[update], 3:00 p.m, there were 12,519 total confirmed cases in Austria, 243 of them have officially died, and 4,046 people that have officially recovered.
Deaths, as of 6 April 2020, 09:30 am: 220, by federal states: Burgenland (3), Carinthia (4), Lower Austria (36), Upper Austria (22), Salzburg (15), Styria (56), Tirol (35), Vorarlberg (5), Vienna (44).[1][nb 1]
Recoveries, as of 6 April 2020, 9:30 a.m.: 3,463, by federal states: Burgenland (47), Carinthia (120), Lower Austria (481), Upper Austria (720), Salzburg (269), Styria (183), Tyrol (1,076), Vorarlberg (303), Vienna (264).
As of 6 April 2020[update] 09:30 am, 111,296 tests have been conducted. 1,074 people were hospitalized - of which 250 were in intensive care units.[1]
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Prevention measures
On 16 March, a nationwide curfew went into force. Homes may only be left for a handful of specified reasons, see above.[34] Non essential work that can not be done from home was stopped.
On 17 March, in addition to border checks, Austria banned all arrivals from Italy, China's Hubei Province, Iran, and South Korea, excepting those who had a medical certificate no more than four days old that confirmed they were not affected by coronavirus.[35]
On 27 March, it was announced that no further prevention measures are planned.[31]
On 30 March, the government laid out plans to introduce compulsory wearing of face masks covering mouth and nose. From 6 April onwards, this will only affect persons entering supermarkets, but will be extended to more public places in the near future.[36]
Notes
^The numbers published here are the official numbers from the Sozialministerium published daily at 8:00 am and 3:00 pm. Furthermore, the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, provides frequent updates on http://info.gesundheitsministerium.at
"Coronavirus Austria updates and news" [Latest news and statistics of coronavirus in Austria.] (in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian, and Russian). Retrieved 4 April 2020.
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