Austria is extending a lockdown to its entire population, becoming the first EU country to take such a measure in the face of the COVID-19 resurgence.
The Alpine country is also the first EU nation to make vaccination mandatory, saying this will be implemented from February 1.
The new measures were announced by Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg on Friday morning after discussions with regional governors. "We have to look reality in the face," he said at a news conference in the Tyrol. Last Monday, Vienna announced a nationwide lockdown for the unvaccinated. That has now been extended to everyone as Austria battles to contain a fourth wave of the coronavirus. “We do not want a fifth wave,” the chancellor said, as reported by public broadcaster ORF. “Nor do we want a sixth or seventh wave.”
Schallenberg said the lockdown will start on Monday and initially last for 10 days. Most stores will close, and cultural events will be cancelled. Austria’s health minister said that schools would remain open for those who needed to go there but all parents were asked to keep their children at home if possible. Under the lockdown for the unvaccinated announced earlier this week, people 12 years and older are banned from going outside except for essential activities such as work, attending classes, essential shopping, or going for a walk.
After 10 days, the effects will be assessed and if virus cases have not gone down sufficiently, the lockdown can be extended to a maximum of 20 days. The latest data shows COVID infections in Austria have soared in recent weeks. Daily case numbers have trebled in November to more than 15,000 on Thursday. The country's per capita infection rate is the highest so far this year. Hospitals have been overwhelmed with many new COVID-19 patients, and deaths have been rising again, too.