28 March 2020
At the end of the second week of self-isolation due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Austrians stepped into the phase of regulating the funds for the outlays of the temporarily closed businesses to secure jobs and the country's economy. Different regulations for large, middle-sized and small companies to one-person businesses such as makeup artists or designers and the ones who aren't in the classical sense businesses such as journalists or artists have caused confusions. Critics say that the tax office - which has already data of all different groups, should had been the official administrator of the financial help service and not the now active organization which works for classical companies and hasn't any sensitive data as it's not committed to confidentiality like the tax office. Well, it's very possible that next week will start with interesting discussions between the political parties about the accessibility to the money which decides about the people's future. But the overall atmosphere is still - measured on the severe situation of the pandemic, surprisingly good. The motto "Help yourself, help others" is unspokenly in the air and a fresh wind of solidarity brings the people in times of social distancing metaphorically closer.
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While the government presented the new regulations for businesses, privately organized initiatives for helping people in these difficult times have started such as the charity by Austrian jewelry label Xenox which donates parts of the purchase to the 'Corona Hilfsfonds' of the Evangelical social organization Diakonie.