The ommicron wave is leveling off and calls for the end of the mask requirement in retail are getting louder again. Face masks are currently mandatory in all indoor areas in Austria. However, the national ordinance on this will expire on Holy Saturday. The government is currently negotiating a possible extension.
Trade representatives on Wednesday called for the end of the mask requirement. Especially for employees in the food trade. According to trade chairman Rainer Trefelik, the epidemiological perspective speaks clearly for the end of the mask requirement in the retail sector. The abolition should also apply to food trade personnel to avoid unequal treatment.
Christian Prauchner, chairman of the food trade, argued in a similar way: as the number of new infections is now falling sharply and the risk of contamination when shopping for food is extremely low, it is no longer reasonable for food trade workers to continue to be required to wear face masks. wear. In the future, there should be a greater focus on “personal responsibility”.
End of the mask requirement from Easter
The trade association also called on Wednesday afternoon for the mask obligation to be ended in all trade and that by Easter at the latest. Almost all European countries have already lifted the mask requirement in shops, said Rainer Will, general manager of the Trade Association. Austrian trade wants politicians to have uniform rules for the whole country after Easter. A legal patchwork carpet would only confuse the consumer.
Union calls for Corona crisis plan
In addition, the starting signal for the preparations is now necessary to get through the autumn and winter as crisis-resistant as possible. “Under no circumstances should the wait in the summer of 2020 and in the summer of 2021 be repeated, as a negative development of the health crisis would further exacerbate the effects of the crisis on the real economy in Ukraine. Planning and transparency provide security and confidence for everyone,” explains Will. The sector organization is therefore now advocating drawing up a corona crisis plan for the autumn.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
