Austrian Police Given Broader Powers To Collect Data About Suspected Coronavirus Patients

Austrian Police Given Broader Powers to Collect Data About Suspected Coronavirus Patients

The Austrian parliament's economic committee has endorsed a motion of the ruling coalition that will give the police the right to ask suspected coronavirus patients for details about their symptoms

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th July, 2020) The Austrian parliament's economic committee has endorsed a motion of the ruling coalition that will give the police the right to ask suspected coronavirus patients for details about their symptoms.

The measure was part of a coronavirus response package adopted on Monday night despite objections from opposition parties, according to the parliament's press release.

"It ... provides a legal framework for the assistance of the executive in the collection of identity and contact details as well as [information on] symptoms of suspected coronavirus cases," the publication read.

Lawmakers from the Social Democratic Party and the liberal NEOS party criticized the legislation for getting the police involved in the business of health professionals.

This sentiment was echoed by Thomas Szekeres, the president of the Austrian Medical Chamber, a trade union, who said that the police were not fit to diagnose suspected COVID-19 patients.

"If the answer to the needs of our health care system is to give the police more powers for which they are not qualified, this only proves inadequacy of Austria's health care policy," he said.

Health Minister Rudolf Anschober said last week he was concerned about climbing coronavirus cases after the daily tally topped 100 for the first time since mid-April. The central European nation has so far confirmed 18,376 cases, including 16,686 recoveries and 706 deaths.