What is the current situation regarding travel to Austria

A snowHead

Hi all, I have been following this thread (trying to anyhow) and don't recall any discussion about Austrian isolation rules if you come into contact with someone who tested positive with covid if you are fully jabbed.

In the UK, isolation wouldn't be a requirement unless you were a contact of someone confirmed as an Omicron case.

Can one of the Austrian-based Snowheads comment on what would be expected in this scenario please ?

A snowHead

The bits and pieces I have seen in the media about Austria are mainly concerned with the new Chancellor but there does seem to be a suggestion that the restrictions on restaurants and tourism etc might continue for a few days after the 12th, though the Tirol government is very much against such things.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Yep. I'm fairly confident that the stay-at-home regs will lift and the shops will open, for the vaccinated anyway, but beyond that I wouldn't like to speculate.

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@DB, I could be wrong, but that sounds like K1, whereas I think vaccinated is K2? There were some complaints in the press a few weeks ago because vaccinated people were not being told to isolate, but it could have changed by now.

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Thanks for the replies.

I did some searching (and Google translating) on the site linked by DB and there are a few caveats on vaccinated people becoming downgraded to Contact person 2, including being in contact with someone who has been infected by a varient of concern, or if they have only been vacinnated by AZ or Jansen vaccines.

It's probably all going to change by the time my planned trip is due at the end of February.

I've been checking up on here periodically but my trip isn't until early February so if you lot could do me a favour and see into the future and let me know what's going to happen, it would be much appreciated. All this uncertainty is giving me an ulcer and it really won't do. Eh oh!

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@bobcat, imagine how the people whose livelihood this is feel!

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We're supposed to be going to Obergurgl 13th December I've spoken to out usual Hotel and it seems they are very hopeful things will go ahead as planned. I don't want to tempt fate as we've had around 8 trips cancelled over this shizzle. Had an email from Crystal this morning regarding booking a return test, fingers crossed we actually make it there this time. We'll both be treble jabbed too.

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You know it makes sense.

Sense of humour failure snowcats.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Shunt, we're going to Obergurgl on 13th too. I was convinced they would cancel but I've just had an email telling us the (return) flight time had changed and they hoped we were looking forward to the holiday! Shocked

Since the return-to-UK test was announced, I actually hoped they would cancel. I've had Covid and three jabs but am worried out what happens if the test is positive. Stuck in Austria with no booked accommodation over Christmas? OH wants to cancel but we'll lose all our money now.

A snowHead

Had similar with our boys biking Europe trip this summer. If you come up +ve you need to go on the run Eh oh!

No way I'm cancelling the trip now, just deal with whatever happens, quite exciting!

A snowHead

@Shunt, I like the attitude. Mind you I won't have kids in tow so it's easier for me.

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Is there reckoned to be an update on the Austrian lockdown anytime soon?

We are scheduled to travel to Munich with easyjet on13th December and would need to cancel our hire car by late pm on the 11th.

If tourists are permitted, we're still undecided whether to chance testing positive before the return flight and spending Christmas in Tirolean quarantine... Puzzled

We're quite desperate to ski - but what a dilemma and what a carry on Confused

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@mountainaddict, the summit meeting is on Wednesday so the press will probably tell us what is happening tomorrow wink

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Hi, if you have kids it might be a struggle, but like I said on the way back from Spain in summer take a free lft test, if blowing clean good to go, if not get devious. We didn't.

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@Artengit, if it’s LFTs for your return, don’t let that affect your decision in any way because you can get them locally.

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@Artengit, you are probably better using the Austrian tests. If you test positive the authorities will find you accommodation, much better than being stuck with a Crystal rep who with the best will in the world probably has no clue. Not dissing Crystal at all here just most of the reps aren't even in resorts yet, most will be new as previously employed Brits can't work in Austria so there will be little experienced local management.

@Scarlet, I don't think Obergurgl even has a pharmacy? It's quite hard to get around when you are with a tour operator and without a car. It's easier to take a test kit with you. I think the worry is what to do if the test is positive and you can't leave Austria. No-one seems to have any information about quarantining there.

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@maggi, have you asked the hotel or tourist office if they have plans to set up testing in Obergurgl? Yes, for some people it might be easier to take tests kits with them, but nobody should be panicking about whether they’ve ordered them in time because there will be alternatives. If the test is positive, you will be given a PCR test to confirm. At that point the authorities will take over but I do not have experience of this.

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@maggi, @mountainaddict, @Artengit,

I had a look at this very issue this morning in case the pre-departure LFT back to the UK comes out positive. For me I’ve not managed to test positive all this time at work doing regular LTFs and PCRs on occasion too when I’ve had a sore throat or something. Not one positive test in almost 2 years! So I’d say there was a very low chance of me testing positive in Austria as I’m going there to ski and not much else, less likely than me being at work. Needless to say it’s still possible so I found the information here for Land Tirol as that is where I’m going. It can differ depending on the area apparently (but not much I suspect).

https://www.tirol.gv.at/gesundheit-vorsorge/infekt/coronavirus-covid-19-informationen/tirol-testet/informationen-in-unterschiedlichen-sprachen/english/

My plan is that I will take a couple of LFTs from home that I use for work and after a couple of days I will do one, see where the land lies. Then another one after another couple of days. These LFTs aren’t the expensive ones. That way I’m going to find out quicker if something is aloof before I do the official one with the QR code before coming back. If they are negative then happy days.

I think I’d have more chance of being avalanched than the fecker coming up positive!

You know it makes sense.

@maggi, there is information on the website: https://www.gurgl.com/winter/covid-19-safety-measures.html

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@VolklAttivaS5, suggest that you try to minimise the chances of being deemed a close contact of anyone who may test positive. Not sure if you have breakfast or dinner included in your accommodation?

A snowHead

To go back to basics, which I think I covered back on page 15 or something, of the 1.137M tests carried out in the UK today, 4.5% (1 in 25) of those tested, tested positive. Now bear in mind that "most" of those being tested either had it (and were testing to get clear), are workers who are high risk and exposed to COVID groups, or were kids who we all know are the current Dirty Bombs, that means for the vast majority of folks, the chances of catching it are very very small indeed. Even if exposed to someone who has the OMNICRON varient, if you are vaccinated you still have to be very unlucky to get it unless, you spend 24 hours a day in the same house, teach small children, go singing Karaoke in an over full bar/club, share a bed or play in the front row at rugby. So all this angst about catching whilst skiing is probably far less risky than catching it going about your normal business at home in the UK. Some folks will be unlucky, but the vast majority will have no issues at all. More chance of getting a serious injury due to a fall or collision than COVID and the former is probably more likely to end with a life changing injury.

A snowHead

@RedandWhiteFlachau, absolutely. It’s an antigen test. Don’t worry about it.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Hopefully tomorrow we'll find it's good to go. The chances of getting stuck there on return are feck all. I was in Manchester Arena on Friday with 21000 people, great night. Eh oh!

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@maggi, according to the list at https://www.apothekerkammer.at/aktuelles/pcr-liste there is a pharmacy in Solden which offers free tests.

My understanding of the rules is that if you test positive you have to call 1450, and the authorities take over. As a tourist, you are removed to a quarantine hotel and effectively detained there for 14 days, after which you can travel home. In terms of entering the UK, that would require a negative LFT test within 2 days of the flight to be allowed to board the aircraft - note, *not* a PCR test as this may still show positive for a couple of weeks more. I'm not aware of any entry rule around recent but cleared infection being accepted instead of a negative test.

For my planned trip with a mate between 11-18 December, even if we delayed the start to the 13th either by changing the inbound flights and car hire or stayed in Germany (flight is to Munich) for the first two days, the issue is more that a 14 day quarantine starting on the 18th would leave one or both of us alone in a cheap hotel over both Christmas and New Year. The other option is to take LFTs with us and test on Wed/Thu/Fri and if it comes up positive then declare it and start the quarantine on that day, but at best that means maybe being able to travel around the 29th. If the driver is the positive case, we have to change the driver on the rental, or we have a car to be collected or the rental extended until we can drive it back.

The likelihood of someone with 3 vaccine doses testing positive is an unknown, especially now it seems that Omicron may be more likely to infect vaccinated people than other variants. The vaccine may help to prevent it being serious, but that's no consolation when you still have to face quarantine at a difficult time of the year.

Worst case for us would be to leave the testing until we arrive at the airport - Germany apparently doesn't have a government quarantine system, so my guess is it is down to the local health authorities to find you somewhere to stay, which is probably at your own expense. On the plus side, the car has been returned by that point, and also a subsequent negative PCR test can release you from quarantine early. On the minus side, that's highly unlikely to be possible unless the original PCR was a false positive, and that's pretty rare.

My current guestimate is that the chance of testing positive is probably low, maybe as high as around 5%, but that could be wildly inaccurate and in any case it remains a possibility even if it's only 1% - if I could be sure that it was under 5% I might be tempted to go ahead with the trip. At 10% I'd be torn. At 15% I'd think it probably not worth the risk. At 20%, I'd definitely not go because of the time of year, and the knock-on effects on my family at home. Deferring to January when a 14 day quarantine just means working from a hotel room instead of my normal work from home routine looks to be the sensible option at this point.

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@VolklAttivaS5, when a friend tested positive last year one of the only places the contact tracers could look for obvious named contacts was in the hotel - and they focused on the breakfast room. Hence my comment above.

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@RedandWhiteFlachau, that’s exactly it. The chances of it being an issue are so low….it would have to be truly rotten luck indeed. I’ve been seeing loads of little kids and teenagers at work for months and months on end in pretty close proximity and not once have I tested positive in all this time. Ok I’ve been wearing a surgical mask but based on the numbers game alone…not a dickie bird.
It may have been the viral load was just too low to register.
I do have antibodies, I checked but then I had jab number 3 in October.

I bet we are going to have all this next winter as well so I reckon it’s a case of making the most of it if you can get there. Especially after this massive dump of snow last couple of days. Admittedly if I had kids (it’s only me) I am not sure I’d bother it’s far easier and less complex just to look after yourself that’s for sure.

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@VolklAttivaS5, we caught what we think was probably COVID in Montgenevre in February 2020. COVID was just starting out so we wore masks and sanitized. We stayed in an apartment and I spent half and hour when we arrived sanitizing all the surfaces and handles with disinfectant. I didn’t let anyone touch anything until I finished. I ran all the crockery and cutlery through a dishwasher. We didn’t eat out at all. We were super careful but Still we got ill. I really don’t think I’d bother next time.

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@bambionskiis, you were not vaccinated in Feb 2020.

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What is the current situation regarding travel to Austria

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