VIENNA: Mass testing of the Austrian population for the novel coronavirus started on Friday, despite misgivings by scientific government advisors.
Long queues formed at screening centres as testing was launched in Vienna and in the western provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg, broadcasters ORF and Oe24 reported.
Other regions are scheduled to follow in the coming days. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced the voluntary testing plan in late November, as an effort slow down the transmission of the virus.
If several millions among Austria’s 8.9 million inhabitants get tested, authorities can find and isolate many COVID-19 patients who do not show symptoms, he argued.
However, “a significant number of scientific advisers” have told Health Minister Rudolf Anschober that they oppose the plan, according to records of a recent meeting.
They warned that negative tests would give people the wrong idea that they will be able to celebrate a normal Christmas holiday with relatives in late December just like in other years.
The experts also worry about false results from the rapid test kits that are being used. Instead of screening the general population, the experts would prefer a focus on specific high-risk groups, and a stronger effort to trackdown those who have come into contact with infected persons.
The screening in Austria comes after similar efforts in Slovakia and in Italy’s South Tyrol region in recent weeks. However, Slovakia has since started moving away from its mass approach, as it lacks the capacity for contact tracing.
A wave of second tests has been postponed. — dpa
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