Over the course of the pandemic, I've observed both Austrias: the Austria of stubborn transgression with the barn parties, impromptu gatherings around a crate of beer and a refusal not to enjoy life; and the other Austria of pandemic narks, tipping off the police about a game of farmyard horseshoes, or youths in the park doing what youths do.
Austria was the first European country to implement a Covid pass when the country emerged from nearly six months of lockdown.
In the interim to the proposed lockdown, the Covid pass broadened its reach into further areas of life and from November 1st it was extended to every workplace.
The permanent revolution continued on November 5th when it was announced that the Covid pass was being amended so that only the vaccinated or those in possession of a positive PCR test result between one month and six months old would retain a valid pass, downgrading access to 2Gs. The tested category and the antibody certificate were abruptly ended.
The evolution of the Covid pass cannot be disentangled from the choice of non-pharmaceutical measures selected to address the pandemic, particularly the high level of testing in schools.
Many unanswered questions remain about daily life under the Covid pass, but also broader social and political issues: are passes a valid alternative to lockdown? In Austria they appear to have facilitated a new lockdown.
How much democratic accountability underpins the Covid pass? There has been no substantive public debate addressing the broader goals of the Covid pass, such as whether it can contribute to preventing hospital overload, lower infection risk or increase vaccination rates; it has no publicly shared 'sunset clause'.
https://www.thelibertybeacon.com/a-not-very-pretty-postcard-from-austria/
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