VIENNA (Reuters), -Austria’s coronavirus infection rates have risen to a new high as Omicron continues its spread, according to government data.

Austria anticipates an increase in infections that is comparable to what’s happened in Europe in recent years. Conservative-led governments want to prevent a repeat of last month’s pandemic, which saw a fourth full lockdown.

Data from the interior ministry and the health ministry showed that daily coronavirus infection rates rose to 17.006 on Wednesday. The previous peak was 15,809 on Nov. 19, though figures vary by source – public health agency AGES lists https://covid19-dashboard.ages.at/?l=en the previous peak as 16,474 on Nov. 16.

Austria has approximately 17,000 positive results. That is a new record,” Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein told a news conference, adding that current measures, which include a lockdown https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/austrias-unvaccinated-will-remain-lockdown-next-week-chancellor-says-2021-12-07 for the unvaccinated and a 10 p.m. closing time for bars and restaurants, were the right ones.

This is no surprise as these numbers were forecasted for at least 14 days. Our intensive-care unit occupancy rate is around 12%, and our regular hospital-bed occupancy rates have fallen from around 3,000 to 650.”

Kronen Zeitung earlier reported Wednesday that the number of cases has risen to over 18,000. They cited a separate national register from ministry figures.

Omicron can be more easily spread than the previous versions, however, less people are required to receive treatment in hospital. Mueckstein says it is not yet clear how hospitals will change.

“We are experiencing a paradigm shift. It is important that we do not enter into a lockdown. However, we must ensure Austria continues to run. “We must make sure that people are able to continue working with as many positive tests,” he stated, referring specifically to the recent relaxations in quarantine regulations.