Tougher Testing for the Unvaccinated On Austria’s Slopes If Cases Rise

Austria has announced a number of rules and regulations for skiers and boarders holidaying at the country’s ski resorts this winter.

The headline news is that unvaccinated skiers can still access the slopes if they have a recent negative lateral slow test result, but the Austrian government has inserted a number of ‘provisos’ that make for stricter rules if the pandemic worsens this winter in the country, as many experts think likely (along with for most of the rest of the world).

Essentially, the rules will be tweaked if the number of patients in Austrian intensive care beds with COVID 19 rises above certain levels.

The first cut off point is at 300 patients in ICU at which point the unvaccinated will no longer be  permitted in apres ski bars, although the fully vaccinated and those with evidence of recovery from a recent COVID 19 recovery would still be.

The next cut off point comes if the country reaches 400 patients with Covid-19 in ICUs at which point unvaccinated skiers and boarders will no longer be allowed on the slopes with a negative lateral flow test result but will need to take the more accurate PCR test and get a negative result.