• When accessing public places outdoors, a distance of 1 metre must be kept between people who do not live in the same household.
• When accessing public places in enclosed spaces, a distance of 1 metre must be kept between people who do not live in the same household and nose-mouth protection must be worn.

• Leaving one’s own private living space or staying away from one’s own private living space (i.e. in other private living spaces) is permitted for the following reasons only:
  • For the avoidance of an immediate danger to life, health and property
  • For the support and assistance of people in need, exercising family rights, fulfilment of family obligations (e.g. right to visit under-age children)
  • For covering the necessary basic needs of everyday life (buying basic everyday items, visiting a second home, contact with life partners, close relatives (parents, children and siblings) and related persons not living in the same household with whom one is in contact several times a week, satisfying basic religious requirements such as visits to cemeteries or places of worship, doctor’s appointments or having a COVID-19 test, caring for animals). Not included are family celebrations or assemblies of multiple, individual people not living in the same household
  • For professional purposes (including volunteering activities) and training (where required), participation in legal/official proceedings or official acts, as well as in elections and referendums
  • Participation in gatherings under the Austrian Assembly Act (demonstrations)
  • For recreation outdoors aimed at maintaining physical and mental health. This is only permitted with people from the same household, with life partners, close relatives (parents, children and siblings) as well as the related persons mentioned above who do not live in the same household
• Private living areas also include residential units in accommodation establishments and in senior, nursing and disabled facilities.
• It is not permitted for multiple people from one household to meet up with multiple people from another household (only with individual people).
• The restrictions on going out apply until 6 December 2020.

• Where possible, people should work from home (only as agreed between the employer and employee).
• A minimum distance of 1 metre must be maintained in the workplace if the risk of infection cannot be minimised through suitable protective measures.
• If the minimum distance cannot be maintained in the workplace, nose-mouth protection must be worn.
• If the minimum distance cannot be maintained due to the specific nature of the occupational activity, other suitable protective measures must be taken to minimise the risk of infection (e.g. through the formation of fixed teams, the installation of partitions or Plexiglas walls).
• The access of places of work outside of business premises to provide services in close physical proximity, e.g. in the form of home visits, is not permitted.

Measures for Risk Groups:

Persons with previous illnesses receive special protection at their workplace:

• High-risk patients can either directly contact their doctor or obtain a letter from their social insurance agency, which they can take to their doctor.
• On the basis of a checklist, the doctor produces a certificate which the employee gives to the employer in order to receive protection.
• The employee has three options:
  • They can arrange their own safety at work, for instance a larger room or a specific work environment to minimise the risk of infection.
  • If this is not possible, working from home should be considered.
  • If this is also not possible, the employee should be released from employment; the costs of the refinancing are borne at federal level.
     

A visit to the doctor is not obligatory, nevertheless persons with previous illnesses have a right to special protection.

• A minimum distance of 1 metre must be kept and nose-mouth protection must be worn on public transport and in the related stations and waiting areas.
• This rule may exceptionally be deviated from if the number of passengers makes it impossible to maintain a distance of at least 1 metre, including when boarding and alighting.
• Nose-mouth protection must be worn for the entire journey.
• The shared use of motor vehicles by persons who do not live in the same household is permitted if no more than two people (incl. driver) sit on each bench of seats and everyone wears nose-mouth protection. This also applies to taxis and taxi-like operations.

• Kindergartens, primary schools and lower middle school classes remain open for all children for supervision and learning support, if such supervision cannot be provided at home. There will be no regular opening hours or teaching until 6 December.
• Upper middle school classes and university lectures will take place online.
• Training and development activities such as, for example, private tutoring, language school courses, dog training, or pottery courses, may only be provided for people who live in the same household.

• The access of retail establishments and companies offering services in close physical proximity (hairdressers, beauticians, nail bars, piercing and tattoo studios, massage studios) as well as leisure facilities is prohibited. Services provided in close physical proximity are not allowed in the form of home visits either.
• The following will remain open from 6.00 am to 7.00 pm: food shops, chemists, banks, post offices, motor vehicle and bicycle workshops and rental outlets, tobacconists, tailors and cleaners. These rules also apply to outdoor markets and attending administrative authorities and courts in person. Longer opening hours apply to pharmacies, (e-)filling stations and car washes.
• A distance of at least 1 metre must be kept between people who do not live in the same household when entering customer areas and nose-mouth protection must be worn.
• The operators of these businesses and their employees must wear nose-mouth protection when in contact with customers, unless another suitable form of protection for spatial separation is available which guarantees the same level of safety between the individuals concerned.
• The operators of business premises must ensure that the maximum number of customers present on the premises at the same time does not exceed the ratio of one customer per 10 m² (if the customer area is smaller than 10 m², only one person may enter). The same also applies to physically connected business premises (e.g. shopping centres).
• If the nature of the service means that the minimum distance of 1 metre between customer and service provider cannot be kept, the infection risk must be minimised by taking appropriate safety measures.

• Visitors to senior and care homes as well as to health spas and hospitals must present a negative result of an antigen test (not older than 24 hours) or a PCR test (not older than 48 hours). If a negative test result cannot be presented, a CPA respiratory mask or a mask of equivalent or higher standard must worn at all times during the visit.
• Nose-mouth protection must be worn and a distance of 1 metre must be kept in enclosed spaces when visiting hospitals and health spas as well as places providing health services.
• Visitors and employees of senior, care and disabled facilities must keep a distance of 1 metre from people who do not live in the same household (where compatible with professional activities) and must wear nose-mouth protection in enclosed spaces. This also applies to residents in generally accessible areas that do not belong to the living space.
• Residents of senior and care homes must also present a negative test result before re-admission (as for visitors). Employees of health spas and hospitals and of senior and care homes are tested weekly for COVID-19.
• Only one visitor will be admitted per week for each resident of a senior and care home. This does not apply to visits involving palliative and hospice care, as well as counselling.
• Only one visitor will be admitted per week for each patient who is admitted to a hospital or health spa for longer than one week. Exemptions exist for patients who are under-aged or in need of assistance, pregnant women (pre- and post-natal), as well as for visits involving palliative and hospice care, as well as counselling.

• Nose-mouth protection must be worn when attending administrative authorities and administrative courts in person.

• The business premises of restaurants, with the exception of delivery services, must remain closed. Delivery services may continue 24 hours a day.
• Food and drink may be collected between 6.00 am and 7.00 pm on the basis that it is not consumed on site (or within a radius of 50 m of the business premises). At the time of collection, a distance of at least 1 metre must be kept between people who do not live in the same household and nose-mouth protection must be worn.
• The following dining establishments may be open between 6.00 am and 7.00 pm: dining establishments in
  • hospitals and health spas,
  • senior, care and disabled facilities,
  • facilities for supporting/accommodating children and young people (including schools and kindergartens),
  • businesses,
  • accommodation establishments, if food and drink are served exclusively to paying guests,
  • public transport, if food and drink are served exclusively to passengers.
• With regard to the exceptions shown, the following rules apply:
• A minimum distance of 1 metre must be kept from other people (who do not belong to the group of visitors) and nose-mouth protection must be worn when entering the restaurant until the table is reached and when leaving the table.
• Food and drink must not be consumed in the immediate vicinity of the serving point (i.e. no consumption at the counter). Consumption is only permitted when seated at the designated tables.
• Self-service is only permitted if the risk of infection can be minimised through special hygiene precautions.
• The operators of these businesses and their employees must wear nose-mouth protection when in contact with customers, unless another suitable form of protection for spatial separation is available which guarantees the same level of safety between the individuals concerned.
• The operators must ensure that a minimum distance of 1 metre is kept between the groups of visitors or other suitable protective measures are put in place to ensure spatial separation.
• Accommodation establishments must remain closed. The following exceptions apply to this rule:
  • Persons who are being accommodated for a previously agreed period
  • Accommodation for the purpose of supporting and assisting people in need
  • Accommodation for professional purposes and training purposes of legally recognised facilities
  • Accommodation for fulfilling an urgent housing requirement
  • Accommodation of patients at health resorts and patients in rehabilitation
  • Boarding schools, apprentice hostels, student residences
• The accommodation establishments for which an exemption exits may be entered under the following conditions:
  • A distance of at least 1 metre must be kept in generally accessibly areas between people who do not live in the same household or do not belong to the group of guests in the shared residential unit.
  • When entering generally accessible areas in enclosed spaces of retail business, nose-mouth protection must be worn.
  • The operators of these businesses and their employees must wear nose-mouth protection when in contact with customers, unless another suitable form of protection for spatial separation is available which guarantees the same level of safety between the individuals concerned.
  • The regulations for dining apply in the dining area of accommodation establishments.
  • Keep a minimum distance of 1.5 metres in shared bedrooms or use appropriate protective measures for spatial separation.

• Admission to enclosed spaces in places of worship is permitted under the following conditions:
  • A distance of at least 1 metre must be kept between people who do not, at least temporarily, live in the same household and nose-mouth protection must be worn
• During services of worship outdoors, a minimum distance of 1 metre must be kept from people who do not live in the same household.
• The requirement to keep to the minimum distance does not apply if the performance of religious acts is required.

• The holding of events is prohibited (e.g. cultural events, weddings, birthday parties). Civil weddings can take place.
• Leaving one’s private living space to participate in an event is only permitted for the following, non-exhaustive, reasons:
  • Business meetings that cannot be postponed, if required to maintain the professional activity
  • Events for the practise of religion
  • Funerals with up to 50 people
  • Assemblies for professional training and development purposes or for the fulfilment of integration measures in accordance with the Integration Act, as well as for final professional examinations
  • Gatherings under the Austrian Assembly Act (demonstrations)
  • High-level sports events
• A distance of 1 metre must be kept between people who do not live in the same household and nose-mouth protection must be worn.
• If the nature of the training or development or of the integration measures means that the minimum distance of 1 metre and/or the wearing of nose-mouth protection cannot be ensured, the infection risk must be minimised by taking appropriate safety measures.
• The holding of events is prohibited (e.g. cultural events, weddings, birthday parties). Civil weddings can take place.
• Leaving one’s private living space to participate in an event is only permitted for the following, non-exhaustive, reasons:
  • Business meetings that cannot be postponed, if required to maintain the professional activity
  • Events for the practise of religion
  • Funerals with up to 50 people
  • Assemblies for professional training and development purposes or for the fulfilment of integration measures in accordance with the Integration Act, as well as for final professional examinations
  • Gatherings under the Austrian Assembly Act (demonstrations)
  • High-level sports events
• A distance of 1 metre must be kept between people who do not live in the same household and nose-mouth protection must be worn.
• If the nature of the training or development or of the integration measures means that the minimum distance of 1 metre and/or the wearing of nose-mouth protection cannot be ensured, the infection risk must be minimised by taking appropriate safety measures.

• Admission to sports venues is prohibited. Access by elite athletes is exempted from this.
• Admission to leisure facilities, excluding in private homes, is prohibited. This includes swimming pools, dance schools, theatres, cinemas, museums, libraries, bookshops, animal parks and zoos.

There is no vaccine. Treatment is symptomatic, i.e. by alleviating the symptoms of the disease, for example by giving antipyretic agents.

Common coronavirus infections affecting humans are mostly mild and symptom-free. Frequent indicators of an infection with the novel coronavirus are, among others, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, or even death. Mild illness courses (symptoms of a cold) as well as infections without any symptoms can occur. Some cases can progress mildly (symptoms of a cold) and some cases do not show any symptoms.

Currently, experts assume that the course of the illness for the novel coronavirus is less severe than for SARS and MERS.

Video "How does the illness manifest itself?" (AGES/Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety)

As of today, there is no definitive information about how dangerous the virus is. For the time being, the novel coronavirus seems to be considerably less dangerous than MERS (with a mortality rate of up to 30 percent) and SARS (approx. 10 percent mortality rate). For the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the assumed mortality rate is up to three percent. Just like for the seasonal flu caused by influenza viruses (mortality rate under 1 percent), especially elderly people and people with a weak immune system are affected.

Video "Wo dangerous is the novel coronavirus?" (AGES/Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety)

Hygiene measures are to be followed, just like during the flu season. The most important and most effective measure to protect yourself and others from getting a respiratory infection are good hand hygiene, correct cough etiquette, and keeping a minimum distance (approx. 1 to 2 meters) to people who might be infected.

• A new and easier option for short-term working
• Available for up to six months for the time being

More answers to questions about “corona-related short-term working” is available in the latest publication of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labor, Family and Youth.