Coronavirus
Austria and Bavaria have established a new local border traffic regime that allows transit for shopping and family visits. From May 19th, restaurants, hotels, gym and entertainment venues will re-open under restrictions. Entry will be granted to those who have either tested negative, recovered from the disease or received a vaccination.
A closed cafe in Vienna. Photo: Herzi Pinki via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Politics
MP Sigrid Maurer (Grüne) has defined the climate policy of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce as an ‘old and antisocial thinking based on the exploitation of humans and nature’. The criticism comes after the Chamber attacked the government’s new climate law.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption has launched an investigation into Chancellor Kurz’s alleged perjury during the Ibiza-affair trials.
Culture
The annual cultural festival Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival) has begun! Check out the programme with podcasts, streams and live events here.
Word of the week
The German word 'die Kasse', 'till', is known in Austria as ‘die Kassa’.