Coronavirus cases rise to 29 in Austria

APD NEWS

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Five more people tested positive for the coronavirus in Austria Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Alpine country to 29, according to the Ministry of Health.

The count consists of 15 cases in Vienna, 5 in Lower Austria, 4 in Styria, 3 in Salzburg and 2 in Tyrol.

According to the ministry, 3,138 tests had been carried out across the country by Wednesday afternoon.

Rudolf Anschober, Minister of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, was satisfied with the government's information offensive against the coronavirus.

"Nobody comes to an outpatient clinic saying I have symptoms," said Anschober at a press briefing. "People wait at home, just like we have planned."

According to the minister, two hotlines are well received by the citizens.

The Agency for Health and Food Security (AGES) hotline, which deals with questions about the coronavirus, has around 5,000 calls a day, while the general health hotline 1450 is contacted 3,000 times a day.

In the meantime, the government has put together a short-term package of measures for particularly hard-hit companies, which includes loan guarantees amounting to ten million euros (11 million U.S dollars).