Austria orders lockdown for unvaccinated starting on Monday
VIENNA (AFP) – Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said on Sunday (Nov 14) that a nationwide lockdown would begin on Monday for those not vaccinated against Covid-19 or who have recently recovered from the coronavirus, as the European Union member fights a record surge in cases.
Around 65 per cent of Austria’s almost nine million people are vaccinated, below the EU average of 67 per cent, while daily increases in infections have hit records this week.
“The situation is serious… We don’t take this step with a light heart but unfortunately, it is necessary,” Mr Schallenberg told reporters.
The lockdown means people over 12 who are neither vaccinated nor recently recovered will not be allowed to leave the house except for reasons such as buying essential supplies, exercise or to seek medical care.
The lockdowns across the Alpine country are to be enforced with random spot checks for the next 10 days. After that it will be reviewed, Health Minister Wolfgang Muckstein said.
Parliament – controlled by Mr Schallenberg’s conservative-Green coalition – is expected to approve the measure later Sunday.
Mr Schallenberg and Mr Muckstein called again on those who have not yet been vaccinated to get jabbed.
Also from Monday, Vienna will become the first region in the EU to offer jabs to children from the age of five to 11 at a vaccination centre in the capital.
Appointments were booked for more than 5,000 children when registration opened on Saturday, the city said.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has not yet issued an authorisation for any of the vaccines to be used for this age group ,though member states have the right to do so in a public health emergency.
Last week, the government had already said that only those vaccinated against or recovered from the virus would be allowed into restaurants, hotels and cultural venues.
So far, some 11,700 people infected with the coronavirus have died in Austria. Daily case increases hit an all-time high of more than 13,000 new infections on Saturday.
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