Retirement and nursing homes after infection. The Federal Government assured in December 2020 that any increased cost for additional staff would be covered. Not in every Land and region there were permanent testing facilities by the end of 2020 where staff and relatives could be tested quickly and in an uncomplicated way before starting work or entering the building. Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection The NPM considers it positive that the Ministry has been inviting representatives from in-patient and mobile care services, professional and umbrella associations and the Austrian National Public Health Institute to a dialogue – recently in weekly video conferences – since autumn/winter 2020. The Ministry thus receives feedback on problems and requirements from the source and can provide information on planned changes. The NPM is also involved in this dialogue. 2.1.4 Precautionary infection prevention through deprivation of liberty impermissible In spring 2020 restrictions on entering public places were enforced in Austria. Persons living in private households, however, were allowed to buy groceries and things necessary for everyday life themselves, go out for a walk or go to the bank or post office. The management of nursing homes imposed far stricter preventive curfews to minimise the risk of transmitting the SARSCoV-2 virus and strongly recommended residents not to go outside. Both the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection as senior health authority and the home supervisory authorities of the Laender condoned residents being isolated from the outside world and their right to freedom being restricted without official directive and against their will. The telephone interviews conducted by the commissions showed that 48% of the care services interviewed still considered briefly leaving the grounds of the home as too dangerous in mid-May. Care services in regions that had hardly been affected by infection to date expressed reservations as to whether this was really necessary. However, they complied with information that stipulated using “security barriers” to counter the risk of infection that could be “imported” into the nursing home from the outside. Initial reactions justifying these regulations explained that as an illness posing a danger to all risk groups COVID-19 is highly contagious and that there are also asymptomatic cases as well as times when the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen cannot be detected. Recommendations of the Federal Ministry 33 The Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection contributed to guiding nursing homes in the wrong direction with recommendations that were published on its website from 21 April 2020. Residents suspected of being infected with COVID-19 must be isolated in their room or in other suitable accommodation – in compliance with reporting obligations. Because of this, the management of homes assumed that they