COVID digest: Austria expects face mask to return in autumn

Austrian Health Minister Johannes Rauch on Monday said that, with current low infection rates, legal mandates for masks to be worn in essential shops and on public transport could be suspended.

However, he said, measures would likely be reimposed in the autumn with possible new variants, meaning that the pandemic was far from over.

"It is now justifiable to pause the mask requirement," Rauch told a press conference.

Mandatory mask-wearing will be suspended for three months until the end of August. However, "the mask will come back," the minister announced.

A nationwide vaccine mandate — which was put on hold before it was officially enforced as infection figures declined — could also be reconsidered after August. 

If the number of cases jumps ahead of the expected time, the mask obligation will be reintroduced step by step. The FFP2 mask will remain in hospitals and nursing homes. 

The mask mandate will also end for schools from June 1, along with a rigorous system of PCR testing for pupils and students.

Here is a selection of other coronavirus headlines from around the world:

Europe

Sweden is recommending a fifth COVID vaccine shot for people aged 65 and over as well as those with an increased risk of becoming seriously ill.

Authorities said it was necessary for the country to "be prepared for an increased spread during the upcoming autumn and winter season.''

"The vaccine is our strongest tool for preventing serious illness and death,'' Swedish Social Affairs Minister Lena Hallengren said.

Officials recommend is that the booster shots be administered from September onwards.

For much of the pandemic, Sweden stood apart from other European countries in its COVID policy and refused to impose full lockdowns.

Germany's vaccine advisory panel on Tuesday said only one COVID-19 vaccination should be sufficient for healthy five to 11-year-olds.

The recommendation from the body known as STIKO contrasts with approval by European Union regulators, which recommends two shots.

However, STIKO said youngsters at risk of developing serious COVID-19 should be given three jabs. These living with an at-risk individual, it said, should receive one.

Asia

North Korea says nearly 3 million people have shown signs of fever since later April amid a COVID outbreak that was declared earlier this month.

Pyongyang reported some 2.95 million people showing symptoms of fever, although there is limited testing capacity to verify coronavirus cases. The isolated country has reported only 68 COVID deaths, much less than what was expected if the bulk of the fever cases are people suffering from COVID. At the same time, officials imposed a sweeping lockdown.

South Korea is expected to use the Davos World Economic Forum to call for COVID-19 vaccines and other medical help for North Korea. The vaccination rate in the secretive nation is believed to be near zero.

After two years of insisting it had no COVID, North Korea confirmed its first outbreak on May 12.

In China, Beijing has ramped up quarantine measures in a bit to end an ongoing COVID outbreak. With 48 new cases reported on Monday, Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said the situation was manageable, but containment efforts could not be eased.

Meanwhile, several Shanghai residents have bemoaned unequal COVID curbs as local officials separately imposed restrictions on some parts of the city. 

Shanghai has been declared a zero-COVID city, but residents in some compounds were stuck indoors while others moved outside freely.

Americas

In Argentina, President Alberto Fernandez and the first lady paid an effective fine of 3 million pesos (about €23,000 or $25,000) for breaking pandemic lockdown rules.

Fernandez and his wife Fabiola Yanez made a charitable donation as "economic compensation" for attending a birthday dinner during a COVID pandemic lockdown.

Scandal surrounded the July 2020 dinner held for the first lady at one of the president's residences in the suburbs of Buenos Aires.

Mexico expects to see the number of tourists return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year — with projected revenues of $24.25 billion (€22.63 billion).

Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco said that, with an estimated 40 million international visitors, the sector should recover to "almost 100 percent" of its performance in 2019."

rc/dj (AFP, dpa, Reuters, AP)