Austria announces lockdown for millions of unvaccinated in fight against covid

The legislation comes into effect as of Monday

Austria has announced a strict lockdown for all those still unvaccinated as the country continues to try and tackle increasing covid cases not only on home soil but across Europe. As reported by the likes of The Guardian in the early hours on Friday morning, millions are set to be confined to their homes as Austria registered a record number of 11,975 covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours. Approximately 65 per cent of the country has had the jab so far - the second-lowest rate behind Lichtenstein, a country with only around 40,000 people as opposed to the nearly nine million people in Austria. According to Austria Press Agency, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced plans for the targeted lockdown on Thursday, with a virtual conference between governors set to go ahead on Sunday before the lockdown officially begins. He is also quoted as saying there should be no "solidarity" with the unvaccinated when it comes to implementing lockdowns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHlsonxPcSg Moreover, it is said that Germany is also looking to introduce stricter lockdown measures as the neighbouring country is also experiencing a spike in cases. Austria is reported to have confirmed 760.6 new cases per 100,000 residents in just the past week - three times the rate at which the Germans are recording cases, who also announced a record 49,000 infections today. The Financial Times explained how Austrians who have not yet had the jab have already been banned from bars, restaurants and entertainment venues across the country. When pressed on why he did not implement a nationwide lockdown, Schallenberg said: “I don’t see why two-thirds of the population should lose their freedom because another third hesitates". He went on to explain he expects the Christmas period to be a difficult one for many across the country. It is also thought that those who are unvaccinated will be able to go to work provided they can provide a negative PCR test.

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