Small shops and hardware stores in Austria re-opened on Tuesday as the first step towards a "new normal" amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
As of Tuesday morning, shops of up to 400 square meters and hardware stores in the Alpine country have re-opened under strict precautionary measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing.
"We are on track," Kurz announced to the media on Tuesday morning. "The numbers of new infections and of hospitalisations are going in the right direction."
The population have endured "incredible privations" in the past few weeks with "discipline and perseverance," which makes it possible for the government to take the first step towards a "new normal," and to "get a little bit closer to the life we were used to in Austria," said Kurz.
"Our approach in the coming months will be clear: as much freedom as possible, as much restriction as necessary," he noted, adding "Should the numbers develop in the wrong direction, we will pull the emergency brake."
The daily test capacity for the coronavirus in Austria is now at 10,000, and there are enough reagents to meet the demand, said Health Minister Rudolf Anschober on Tuesday.
As already announced several times, tests are to be carried out further and among target groups, including employees in the health sector and in trade as well as staff and residents of nursing homes, he said.
Masks are mandatory in retail and public transport, said the chancellor.
Anschober also warned against being too optimistic about an upcoming coronavirus vaccine. "I would be very, very surprised if we have a vaccine this year," said the minister, who anticipated effective drugs for COVID-19 to be available earlier.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Austria has reached 14,159 as of Tuesday afternoon, with 384 deaths reported, according to data released by local health authorities.
