With the end of the corona quarantine, contact tracing is also shaking. According to the latest information from the Ministry of Health, there are currently no plans to proceed. Something different was said on Tuesday, it said in the office of Viennese city councilor Peter Hacker (SPÖ) on Thursday. We are waiting for a decision from the ministry. Carinthia and Burgenland – also led by SPÖ – are waiting for a federal demand. Salzburg announced by broadcast on Wednesday that the contact tracing would also end if the quarantine ended.
In preparation for the autumn wave, Vienna was actually still looking for new employees at the beginning of July. Now you want to keep the existing 180. The question arises as to their duties, as contact tracing (because vaccinated people were no longer admitted) no longer played a role, and now there is no longer any isolation.
Vienna: Minister of Health on the train
Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) explained on Tuesday – at Vorarlberg’s request – to state health officials that contact tracing should in principle continue. Now he has to define what the tasks are, it said in the hacker office on Thursday.
Carinthia: no contact tracing without federal funding
It is not only about the tasks, but also about the financing. “If the federal government doesn’t pay it back, we won’t do it anymore,” was also the information in Carinthia on Thursday. The state government has just decided to hire 100 employees to support contact tracing. Whether this framework is exhausted depends on the need. A pure reporting obligation without contact tracing also means extra work for the city districts.
Lower Austria: current decrees provide for contact tracing
According to the office of the Minister of Health of Lower Austria, Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (SPÖ), there are valid decrees providing for contact tracing. It remains to be seen what the ministry will specify. It was also pointed out that Königsberger-Ludwig in the video conference of the state health officials with Minister Rauch asked how things would proceed. The announced “prompt information” is not yet available.
Burgenland wants to orientate on the federal government
In Burgenland it was not yet clear on Thursday afternoon how contact tracing would proceed. This is currently under discussion, it said at APA request. However, they will probably follow the guidelines of the federal government.
Styria: “The legal basis no longer applies”
From the point of view of Styria, the matter is clear – as for Salzburg – contact tracing will be stopped, “the legal basis no longer applies,” says corona coordinator Helmut-Theobald Müller. The relevant texts are revised and the decisions are adapted. Because with the switch from quarantine to traffic restrictions, there is no longer any official contact with the citizen and there are no more reports. The employees of the various national departments working in contact tracing would now return to their original workplace.
Quarantine is around the corner
It is quite certain – with the arrangement announced on Wednesday – that from August 1, those who have tested positive for Corona will no longer have to isolate themselves. There are only traffic restrictions for them – this means they can leave their apartment but must wear an FFP2 mask when coming into contact with other people.
Source: Krone
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