There is always the famous “Austrian way”. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the globally unique FFP2 mask requirement, which is now more like a laughing stock on board flights, or the recent fact that four Covid vaccinations in the bureaucracy are not four vaccinations, but two with two third bites. "The computer" is to blame for the fact that people who have been vaccinated four times do not have 4/4 in their "green passport"...

It's a typical Wednesday starting on the island of Malta. Almost everything is as usual, because the X1 bus, which runs between Cirkewwa and Luqa Airport, is of course late. Timetables on this line are a non-binding indication of when a bus could theoretically come or not. The latter was the case. But something was still different than in the last two years.

At the latest when boarding the bus, it became clear that something had changed: the masks fell off and not a single passenger wore them. So it's quite legal, without a mask, through the usual Maltese traffic chaos, which increases the distance from only about 20 kilometers of road to a driving time of over 1,5 hours. Without a mask, you can go through the airport terminal, into the lounge and to board at the gate.

People who wore mouth and nose protection were the absolute exception. It's no longer mandatory. Of course, this also applies to the apron buses, so that the flight attendants had to do a lot of educational work when boarding, because neither Austria nor Malta have abolished the obligation to wear masks in commercial aircraft. This still applies, but it now resembles a real farce, as the “typical Wednesday” should show in the further course.

Incidentally, the orders of Austria and Malta contradict each other. The Alpine Republic stipulates that FFP2 masks must be worn on all flights to/from Austria. However, the island republic only instructs mouth and nose protection. What applies now? Unsurprisingly, the authorities of both states declared that their own notam should take precedence. However, there is no provision regarding a “rank order”. In fact, both orders are equally valid and FFP2 mask refusers can legally invoke Maltese law, especially since the airliner concerned was also under the supervision of the Maltese CAD.

Incidentally, no official body could answer conclusively whether the Austrian or Maltese notam is valid with regard to the mask requirement. This should not have mattered to most passengers anyway, because FFP2 masks, at least under the nose, were the exception. The majority of passengers wore surgical or cloth masks under their noses or on their chins throughout the flight. The crew didn't give a damn about it, even though a few Austrians between the ages of 40 and 50 complained and called for FFP2 masks to be compulsory. But nobody was interested.

Of course, the crew members did not wear FFP2 masks either, but surgical masks, which were constantly hanging under the noses of at least two flight attendants. One could almost think that one has adapted to the reality on board. As a reminder, Austria requires all crew members and passengers to wear FFP2 masks throughout the flight and in the terminals. Surgical and fabric masks are - at least officially - not allowed. In reality, the implementation and acceptance is now a real joke.

Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) emphasized several times last week that he had no intention of finally lifting the FFP2 mask requirement. This should remain as it is in public transport, airports, train stations, supermarkets and post offices, among other things, until at least July 8, 2022. However, it is also a fact that you do not have to wear FFP2 masks in coaches - unlike on airplanes . To this day, his ministry has not been able to explain why this distinction is made and what findings it is based on.

In an international comparison, Austria is now pretty lonely, because many countries have completely abolished the mask requirement. Germany, for example, is going its own way and has retained this in public transport, but not in train stations and airport terminals, but on board. Malta, for example, only writes through MNS on board aircraft and, for example, in hospitals. To cut a long story short: many passengers are now getting used to the fact that in the majority of European countries, at least in airport terminals, masks are no longer required.

What is the practical consequence of this? Similar like on a "typical Friday" The passengers coming from Malta also took off their masks immediately after leaving the gangway, which, if at all, were worn under their noses. These often ended up in the nearest garbage can. The maskless walk in the direction of baggage claim was started and it probably doesn't need any further explanation that not a single employee or police officer was bothered in any way on the way there.

Admittedly, the conditions in this commentary were exaggerated a little in passages. But what's the point if Austria thinks it's the only country that has to prescribe FFP2 masks, but the implementation is now just a real laughing stock? Federal Minister Rauch (Greens) should stand himself at a gangway or on a scheduled flight that comes from a country where masks have been completely abolished. Perhaps the man from Vorarlberg would then have had a better sense of how his regulations are implemented, ignored or not checked in everyday practice.

Four Covid vaccinations are three with two third stitches in the bureaucracy

The fact that it is actually possible in Austria to receive two third vaccinations against Covid-19 is no longer surprising. For some time now, those aged 12 and over have been able to have a fourth vaccination against Covid-19. However, this has a catch in the area of ​​bureaucracy. This is formally entered again as the third vaccination in the e-vaccination passport and thus also on the vaccination certificate (“green passport”). In concrete terms, this means that a third dose appears twice on the electronic vaccination card and you suddenly get two valid vaccination certificates, each with 3/3.

What's behind it? To put it in extremely simple terms: the IT system behind it cannot yet count to four. Therefore, the vaccination centers currently have to enter the fourth stitch as the third stitch, so that the odd thing is that people who have been vaccinated four times have received two “third stitches” according to their e-vaccination card and receive an additional EU certificate with 3/3, but a new date.

It is not understandable that the fourth vaccination is released for everyone who wants it after a medical consultation, but "on paper" it is a "second third vaccination". Four stitches are always four stitches, but in Austrian bureaucracy everything is different: 1st dose, 2nd dose, 3rd dose and again 3rd dose, added up: 3/3.