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Austria is continuing on its path of gradual opening - despite the recent significant increase in corona numbers.

From March 27th, the outdoor dining area will be allowed to reopen.

"We start outdoors before we can venture into further indoor opening steps," said Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Monday.

In the federal state of Vorarlberg, where the incidences are lowest nationwide, there should be opening steps in the areas of sport, culture and gastronomy as early as March 15.

In addition, it was decided that youth and school sports should be possible again from mid-March.

Access tests should continue to play a central role in the easing.

About a quarter of the Austrian population is currently being tested every week, it said.

Hope also rests on the significant increase in vaccination numbers in March and April.

The central goal remains the vaccination of the particularly endangered seniors and the risk groups, said Kurz.

"My grandma is 92 and still has not been vaccinated," said the head of government.

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In April, the hotel industry should also reopen, if possible, said Kurz.

But it remains that the further steps depend on the development of the new infections.

However, when looking at the seven-day incidence, the government did not provide a specific number from which easing will be withdrawn.

When assessing the situation, the situation in the clinics also plays a role.

That was largely stable recently.

"We know that it's been a long damn year for the population," said Kurz.

He defended the opening of all stores three weeks ago.

This was an important and correct step.

Since then, 120,000 people who were previously unemployed or on short-time work have returned to work.

On Monday, 1409 new infections were counted within one day in Austria.

Taking into account the number of residents, that would correspond to around 10,000 cases in Germany.

The analyzes showed that children and adolescents in particular were now infected with the virus.

Therefore, the corona tests in schools, which are mandatory in Austria, are particularly important, said Kurz.

Since Monday, free self-tests for at home have also been available in pharmacies in the country.

They are intended as a personal check, but no access authorization, for example for visiting hairdressers.

Kurz remained confident that the summer could be largely normal again.