France starts building its Battery Valley with opening of new gigafactory
The facility located near Lens is the first step in the grand re-industrialization of the North along modern tech lines
The new amendment to current regulations will allow the unvaccinated to spend Christmas and New Year with family and friends
This morning, health authorities in Austria issued an amendment to the current Covid restrictions to make room for as much festive spirit as the situation allows. The new set of rules will come into effect on 22 December.
Most of the measures from the previous set of pandemic measures will remain unchanged: according to health authorities, the vaccinated and the recovered will be allowed to participate in ‘social coexistence’. They will also have the opportunity to go to restaurants, bars, hotels, stores, etc.
Initially, the current Austrian lockdown for the unvaccinated was supposed to last for 10 days, from 12 to 22 December. However, authorities have decided to extend that date by a further 10 days, until 1 January.
Medical authorities have allowed some exceptions for the unvaccinated for the Christmas holidays – on the 24, 25, 26 and on 31 December.
On these dates, people who have not recovered or do not have a vaccine will be allowed to go to small social gatherings of up to 10 people. So citizens have the chance to celebrate Christmas with family or with friends. For larger groups, from 11 to 25 people, citizens will need to be vaccinated or recovered.
Additionally, the federally mandated curfew for bars and restaurants is lifted on 31 December and only state regulations will apply.
The Social Ministry of Austria recommends PCR testing before gatherings, as well as using masks and limiting personal contacts as much as possible during Christmas. They also urge the unvaccinated to get their jabs before the holidays, as the Omicron variant is still a threat.
This Sunday, 19 December, a group of citizens have decided to organise a vigil for all Austrians who have fallen victim to COVID-19. For this reason, they will light more than 13,000 candles in Vienna.
According to the ORF, the Austrian broadcasting network, the initiative was born out of a discussion on social media between Roman Scamoni from Innsbruck and Daniel Landau from Vienna. The two explained that this is not a pro-vaccination demonstration and torches and fliers will not be welcomed on Sunday.
Instead, it intends to bring all Austrians together and counteract the major divide in society. The organisers also say that the vigil should adhere to green pass regulations, meaning that vaccinated, recovered and people with negative PCR tests should come, wearing masks and keeping their distance, to avoid spreading the disease.
Drivers will be legally required to push their scooters manually in pedestrian areas and parks
Iberia will be the first company to introduce this option in the country
The facility located near Lens is the first step in the grand re-industrialization of the North along modern tech lines
Greece and Bulgaria are set to build one of the first 5G cross-border corridors in Europe
The feline registry is expected to start operating in 2026
The team presented the final report about a year, which was supposed to put the Luxembourgish city on the cultural map of Europe
After all, sleeping carriages are basically hotels on wheels
Drivers will be legally required to push their scooters manually in pedestrian areas and parks
Greece and Bulgaria are set to build one of the first 5G cross-border corridors in Europe
After all, sleeping carriages are basically hotels on wheels
Iberia will be the first company to introduce this option in the country
The feline registry is expected to start operating in 2026
The practical art objects are competing for one of the 2023 New European Bauhaus Prizes
Cast your vote before 24 May and do your part in promoting the NEB values
The new itineraries are part of the DiscoverEU programme, which lets 18-year-olds travel by train between important European sites
An interview with the president of the European Federation of Journalists
A talk with the head of Mission Zero Academy on the benefits for municipalities if they go the zero waste way
A talk with Nicolae Urs, one of the key figures behind the city's new data platforms and online services strategy