Austria rolls out face mask obligation to bring infection rate down
Austria is one of the European countries taking the earliest and strictest steps against the Covid-19 coronavirus disease. Besides Austria, the Czech Republic introduced obligatory face masks in public on March 18.
Once supermarket retail chains have received the masks, every shopper will be handed the protective gear when entering stores, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a press conference.
In the medium term, wearing masks will also become obligatory in other situations where people come into close contact, according to the government plan.
Kurz acknowledged that such protective gear seems like a strange Asian custom.
"It's not part of our culture, and it will be a big adjustment for us, but it's necessary that we take this step to further reduce transmission," he said.
The government cautioned that the masks do not protect wearers, but are meant to prevent them from spreading infectious cough droplets.
The number of Covid-19 coronavirus disease cases rose above 9,000 on Monday, while the number of dead surpassed 100, according to the Health Ministry.
The daily increase of new infections has fallen to an average of 11 per cent during the past four days, far below the peak rate of 40 per cent.
Austria has been under a lockdown for the past two weeks. Schools have stopped lessons, nearly all shops are shuttered, and all restaurants, bars and public venues are closed.
"These measures are not only the rights ones, they also work. However, we still have to significantly reduce virus transmission in Austria," Kurz said.
In addition to the obligatory face masks, the government is working to improve a Red Cross mobile phone app that alerts users when one of their contacts has been infected.
Kurz did not elaborate whether the currently voluntary app will become obligatory, or whether the government has plans to tap the data.
