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VIENNA

No Omicron cases in Vienna hospitals so far

There are currently no patients with the highly contagious Omicron variant in hospital in the Austrian capital, a positive sign amid expectations that overall case numbers will rise rapidly, according to Peter Hacker, City Councillor for Public Health, Social Affairs and Sport for Vienna.

People wait in line in front of a vaccination station that is installed at a BILLA Plus (REWE Group) supermarket in Vienna
People wait in line in front of a vaccination station that is installed at a BILLA Plus supermarket in Vienna where the Omicron Covid-19 strain has been the dominant variant since December 26th. ALEX HALADA / AFP

“So far, not a single person with Omicron has been admitted to hospital in Vienna,” Hacker told Austrian newspaper Standard

“This is the case for standard and intensive care wards and is quite remarkable,” he added.

There is a delay before seriously ill patients end up in hospital after becoming infected, but the data for the initial phase of the Omicron wave seems to provide some grounds for optimism.

As of Thursday, a total of 1,870 people had tested positive for the highly contagious Omicron variant in the capital to date, 540 of those cases were from the last two days. Omicron has been the dominant strain since St Stephen’s Day on December 26th.

Hacker is expecting to see record case numbers in January. He did not want to give specific figures, but in response to whether the capital could see 10,000 new infections per day, he said: “it will be like that”.

Inpatients are unvaccinated

Hacker also referenced statistics, which showed that for Vienna “more unvaccinated people were ending up in hospital [with Covid] than ever before”, thereby demonstrating that vaccination worked. 

Around 41 percent of the total population has had a booster vaccination so far and 71 percent have an active vaccination certificate.

From November 8th to 14th, there were 166 unvaccinated inpatients and 39 fully vaccinated inpatients with Covid-19 in non-intensive-care hospital wards. This compares with December 20th to 26th when there were 179 inpatients who hadn’t had a jab and just 19 who were fully vaccinated.

Cut quarantine period
Nonetheless, with case numbers expected to rise substantially in the country, the number of people off sick with Covid-19 or in quarantine could still become a problem even if these don’t translate into high numbers of hospital admissions.

Hacker is therefore calling for the quarantine period to be shortened to five days or a week and for quarantine rules to be relaxed.

Italy, for example, recently announced that it would scrap quarantine rules for vaccinated and recently recovered people who were in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19. 

The Austrian Minister of Health was currently looking into relaxing the quarantine rules for triple-vaccinated people. This was announced by Austria’s Chief Medical Officer Katharina Reich on Thursday on Austrian news show Zeit im Bild 1.

A relaxation of the rules would have “to be consistent in a step-by-step approach” and was “quite conceivable”, said Reich, who heads up the Committee of the National Covid Crisis Coordination (Gecko) with Major General Rudolf Striedinger.

The regulations were tightened in mid-December with the arrival of the new variant and the quarantine period was cut again on December 19th. Since then, people who have been in contact with a person infected with Omicron only need to self-isolate for ten days again (down from 14 days under the tighter rules) and can take a PCR test to end the quarantine early after five days if they test negative. 

They are considered Category 1 (K1) contacts.

This is not the case with the previous Covid-19 variants – contacts of these are considered Category 2 (K2) and do not have to self-isolate. They are just asked to reduce their social contacts and be extra alert to symptoms.

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VIENNA

Five unusual cafes in Vienna you should not miss out on

In the mood for a coffee inside an elevator, surrounded by cats, or served by an Austrian grandmother? Here are five of Vienna's most interesting cafés that you should not miss out on.

Five unusual cafes in Vienna you should not miss out on

Vienna is known for its rich coffeehouse culture, with elegant cafes serving traditional brews in grand settings.

But beyond the classic spots, the city is also home to a range of quirky and unusual cafes offering unique experiences for those looking to explore something different. From eccentric decor to themed menus, these hidden gems add a playful twist to Vienna’s famous coffee scene.

Whether you’re a local or a visitor, these cafes provide a refreshing break from the ordinary, offering not just coffee, but a chance to step into a world of creativity and charm.

Here’s a look at some of Vienna’s most intriguing spots to enjoy a drink with a difference.

Café Neko

This is the place to go if you want to pet some cute cats while enjoying a coffee or cake.

You will find Café Neko – which means cat in Japanese – in a cute street in Vienna’s city centre, and once you enter, you will be greeted by the café’s five resident cats. 

In addition to cat petting, you can enjoy a wide range of coffees and Austrian and Japanese cakes since one of the co-owners is from Japan. 

The café opened in 2012 and is Austria’s first cat café and one of the first ones in Europe.

Here, you can enjoy a cosy atmosphere, surrounded by cats playing with their toys spread around the rooms.

Find out more about the café here.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Takako Ishimitsu (@cafenekovienna)

READ ALSO: Caffeine, war and Freud: A history of Vienna’s iconic coffee houses

Aufzug café

Are you a fan of old Austrian elevators? If so, this is a place worth visiting. 

Here, you can drink your coffee while sitting in one of the cafe’s old elevators. The staff serving you are also dressed as old-time elevator porters. 

You can enjoy high-quality coffee, different drinks and some cakes.

Due to the size of the space, the menu is quite simple, but the coffee and cakes are known for their good quality.

The café is also a bit of a museum, with elevator-related attributes, books about elevators, and photos of old Austrian elevators, sometimes with an explanatory text next to them.

Read more about it here

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Erstes Wiener Aufzug Café (@aufzug.cafe)

Allergikercafé

If you have problems with allergies or are on a strict diet, this is the place where you can enjoy your drinks, cakes, and snacks without any issues.

Here, you can order cakes or pastries without fructose, low in histamine, or without additives, to name a few examples.

You can also find various types of milk for your drink, such as rice or almond milk.

The café uses ingredients that minimise the risk of cross-contamination to ensure that its pastries are suitable for people with specific dietary needs.

The setting is cosy and friendly, and the café has a terrace.

Check out the menu here

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by AllergikerCafe (@allergikercafe)

READ MORE: How to drink coffee like an Austrian

Vollpension

This café is one of Vienna’s most famous ones. It was created to support the city’s elderly by providing them with a sense of community, a weekly activity, and an opportunity to earn extra money.

The idea turned out to be a success, and the concept is seen as a win-win situation for both the employees and the visitors, as the cosy café offers delicious cakes, coffee, and drinks.

While visiting the café, you usually pay for a package and can thereby sit in the cosy atmosphere for a certain amount of time. During this time, you can enjoy as much coffee as you want together with your cake.

Vollpension Café has two locations in Vienna and, in addition to the many different cakes and drinks, also offers breakfast.

If you get inspired by the pastries, you can take a baking class at the café, which is regularly organised.

Find out more here

Karin Hofbauer, 62, bakes for Vollpension, and smiles as she shows a baking tray in front of a laptop. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

Café Phil

You should go here if you do not want to visit only a café but also a bookstore and vinyl shop.

You can enjoy coffee and cake here while looking through many books and vinyl records.

The café often hosts cultural events such as book readings and live music gigs and is where people in Vienna gather regularly.

The atmosphere is familiar, and the menu includes light dishes and snacks in addition to coffee and cakes.

You can read more about it here

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by uneviefrancaise (@uneviefrancaise)

READ NEXT: IN PICTURES: The Vienna coffee shop where phone-less visitors get a discount

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