Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) is disappointed with the critical words from Vienna about the new Corona rules. He even finds the statements of alderman for Public Health Peter Hacker (SPÖ) “a bit of a violation”, according to the minister. Hacker had previously criticized the “lack of continuity” in the federal government, defending Vienna’s special road. The Federal President, meanwhile, said he would continue to wear a mask.
“Once you turn around twice, there’s another decision – to be honest, I can’t understand that,” Hacker criticized on Wednesday in Ö1’s “Morgenjournal” and defended that the mask requirement in Vienna would remain on public transport.
Rauch locates political calculations
“I spoke to him on the phone several times about all these questions, we exchanged views and we also discussed the abolition of masks on public transport,” said the health minister according to a preliminary report, Wednesday evening on “Puls 24”.
He accuses the Vienna City Council of party political calculations and defends his decision: “I take note of that, it is also part of the party politics that is pursued, but in the end I have to make decisions on an objective basis and I have done that.”
Hacker: “Purely substantive question”
Hacker apparently does not want to get involved in this debate: the fact that Vienna always goes its own way is simply a “purely substantive issue” and not a political one, he assured. That the pandemic is over is the wrong message.
He also does not understand why tests in schools are being discontinued. The city council was surprised by the federal government’s decision that the mask requirement was also suspended on public transport.
Kickl thunders against Sonderweg
In turn, the Viennese special path causes dissatisfaction with the chairman of the federal party FPÖ, Herbert Kickl. On Wednesday he called on the federal government to free the population from the “Corona hostages of the Viennese SPÖ”. Given the decreasing number of infections, it is incomprehensible why, unlike other major cities, face masks are still mandatory in public transport in Vienna.
Van der Bellen continues to wear the mask voluntarily
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen has meanwhile announced that despite the far-reaching cessation of the mask requirement when shopping and in the theater, he “probably” will continue to wear a mask, he stated in the “Standard” on Wednesday. He recently went to a concert where almost everyone voluntarily wore a mask, he told “Austria”. “In such situations I will continue to wear a mask.”
Source: Krone
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
