Quick home: Many German tourists had to go through border controls after their Italian vacation in Austria. Only those who assured in writing that they were only traveling through were allowed to continue.
In Austria, the government’s emergency plan because of Corona virus towards extensive foreclosure Italy guided. Since Wednesday noon at the border crossings to Italy, around burner, all travelers checked. According to the decree, Italians may only cross the border with a medical certificate. According to the Austrian Ministry of the Interior, air traffic between Austria and Italy was also completely stopped. The same applies to passenger train traffic.
In the morning a last train, a Eurocity from Italy towards Innsbruck and Munich, had come across the border. “Italy has very, very, very worrying figures,” said Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) on Wednesday.
Car queues form in front of the controls at the border crossing: two smaller border crossings are completely blocked. (Source: Johann Groder / dpa)
At the Brenner passport, all tourists on the way back to Germany or other countries had to confirm in writing that they were not planning a stop in Austria. The personal data of the transit travelers were recorded and the ID cards were also photographed. There were longer waiting times. The four border crossings of the Austrian federal state to Italy were also checked in Carinthia. In addition, a total closure of two smaller border crossings is foreseeable, according to Carinthia’s head of state Peter Kaiser (SPÖ).
Vienna marathon canceled, museums closed
In the Alpine Republic itself, public life is increasingly shaped by the restrictions. All federal museums closed their doors on Wednesday at least until the beginning of April. Many events were canceled. This included the Vienna Marathon planned for April 19, at which 45,000 participants were expected.
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz once again made it clear that further steps will be taken especially in the school system. “There will also have to be measures at school,” said the head of government. The streets, squares and public transport in Vienna were much emptier than usual. In some supermarkets the toilet paper was sold out because people were equipping themselves for a possible quarantine. The government-mandated limit of 100 people for events in buildings also applies to catering. St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna is closed to tourists.
The Austrian government announced further measures in the fight against the corona virus on Tuesday. They are valid until April 3. As of Wednesday morning, there were 206 confirmed infections with the Sars-CoV-2 virus in the Alpine Republic and no deaths.
City tourism in particular is feeling the effects. Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP) said, “Tourists from Italy and Germany are staying away massively.” The number of coach arrivals in the city of Salzburg in the first week of March was halved compared to the previous year. Asia has “totally collapsed”, tourism chief Bert Brugger told the “Salzburger Nachrichten”.
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