(Credit: © Wiener Staatsoper GmbH / Michael Pöhn)

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has announced that the Austrian government will begin the process of gradual relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown measures on May 19, despite a worsening epidemiological situation in the state of Tyrol.

The Austrian Chancellor emphasized that the prerequisite for reopening will be the Green Pass – everyone attending any event must either be tested, recovered from COVID-19 or vaccinated. Twenty square meters must be available per person indoors. The culture rule also applies to sport events: a maximum of 50 percent of the seats could be occupied, or 1,500 indoors and 3,000 outdoors.

Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler announced further reopening steps for the summer.

Wiener Staatsoper officially announced that it will reopen its doors for the audiences on May 19 after a 6.5 month hiatus. General Manager Bogdan Roščić stated that the opera house is currently working on the necessary preparations for the reopening, and that the audiences will be informed about details in due time.

Austrian theaters have been closed since early November 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Austria logged 2,405 new daily COVID-19 cases on April 22, 2021.