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Mask up at home if you're Austrian
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Why quarantine is becoming stricter under Omikron
If you suspect you have the new virus variant, you have to stay at home for 14 days and wear a mask. Why is that?
Vienna - The emergence of the new virus variant Omikron is changing the way Corona is dealt with - although the mutated pathogen had only been detected in 28 cases in Austria by Monday afternoon. Omikron is considered to be particularly contagious; in the British capital London, two weeks after the first detection of an Omikron infection, 40 percent of all Corona-positive cases are already attributable to this variant.
In order to delay the rapid spread of Omikron in Austria, the rules for contact tracing and quarantine in suspected cases have been tightened. What exactly is prescribed now, what does this mean in everyday life as well as for the approaching holidays and holidays?
Question: What are the new rules for dealing with omicron cases or suspected omicron?
Answer: Compared to the behaviour in the delta variant currently prevailing in Austria, they are much stricter. In delta cases, a distinction is also made according to close contacts, for example in a household or at school, between category one (K1) contact persons who are particularly at risk of infection and category two (K2) contact persons who are less at risk. If Omikron is involved, this is omitted. There are then only K1 persons. This is according to the recommendation of the Ministry of Health updated a week ago Tuesday on the "Official Procedure for Sars-CoV-2 Contacts".
Question: What does this mean for the people concerned?
Answer: The competent health authority will send them into home quarantine for 14 days instead of the usual ten days. This means that they are not allowed to leave their home for a fortnight, that they are instructed in hand hygiene and cough-sneeze etiquette, and that they are to take their temperature twice a day until the tenth day after the last contact with the (possible) source of infection. They should also wear FFP2 masks in the home as soon as they leave their "private living area", i.e. for example the children's room, bedroom or room in a shared flat.
The quarantine cannot be shortened, nor can it be tested out, as is possible in the case of the Delta variant after five days. PCR tests are ordered by the health authorities for the first and the 13th day.

r/europe - Austria: Quarantine is becoming stricter under Omikron. You should wear a FFP2 mask at home if you suspect being infected.
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