Austria to test all retirees in homes

VIENNA: Austria, one of the more successful countries in Europe at flattening the curve of coronavirus infections, plans to test every retirement home resident as it expands efforts to measure the pandemic’s spread, its health minister said on Thursday. The Alpine republic acted early in its outbreak to shut schools, bars, restaurants, non-essential shops and other gathering places roughly four weeks ago. It has told the public to stay at home and work from there if possible. So far it has reported just 410 deaths in total, fewer than some larger countries are suffering each day. Health Minister Rudolf Anschober told a news conference the daily increase in cases was now 0.9%, which he said was the lowest rate in Europe. However, almost all of the dead so far were over 65.

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