Health

Roundup: New measures in Portugal, Austria on alert, German industry hit

Madrid Desk, Sep 15 (efe-epa).- Portugal has introduced new measures and Austria has put cities on high alert amid an increasing rate of Covid-19 infections in Europe.

The coronavirus pandemic has also hit industry in Germany which has seen a significant drop in workers, hours and wages.

PORTUGAL

Authorities have introduced a series of new measures including capping meetings at 10 people and limits on business hours and alcohol sales.

The country has entered a state of contingency as it seeks to tackle fresh outbreaks during the new normality.

Health officials have warned people to be extra vigilant as school children resumed their classes and many adults returned to their workplaces.

Remote working will continue to be promoted in big cities such as Lisbon and Porto whenever possible.

There has been an increase in the number of daily infections with more than 600 detected in 24 hours last week, a rate not seen since April when Portugal was in a state of emergency.

Portugal has reported more than 1,800 deaths and 64,500 infections since the pandemic began.

AUSTRIA

Seven cities, including Vienna and Innsbruck, have been put on an orange level of alert in the country’s four-color traffic light Covid warning system.

This will have little effect on prevention measures and mainly seeks to warn people to be more careful about the risk of contagion.

It was the first time locations have been put in the color category since the traffic light system was implemented by authorities on 4 September.

The health minister said this color indicates there is a high risk situation due to an increase in cases not confined to localized outbreaks.

The level of alert is based on the number of infections, whether they are concentrated in localized outbreaks or if the spread of the virus appears to be out of control and the origin of new cases cannot be determined.

Austria recorded 709 new infections on Monday, around the same level as at the end of March, and currently has 5,774 cases, more than half of them in Vienna.

The government said on Sunday that the country has been hit by a second wave of contagion and reinstated restrictions including mandatory masks in confirmed public spaces.

GERMANY

The number of workers in German industry fell to its lowest level in 10 years in July due to the coronavirus crisis, the country’s Federal Statistical Office reported on Tuesday.

Around 5.5 million people were employed in the industrial sector of Europe’s largest economy, a drop of almost three percent or 164,000 people compared to last year.

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