Unvaccinated to Face New COVID-19 Restrictions in Austria

The recent rise in the number of coronavirus infections across countries in Europe has caused the Austrian government to institute a new lockdown on those who have been unvaccinated in the country.

As winter approaches and temperatures fall across the continent, the number of coronavirus cases have spiked massively in the continent. This has once again caused Europe to be recognized as the epicenter of the pandemic, resulting in some countries re-imposing restrictions in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This new spike has also prompted the discussion concerning whether the COVID-19 vaccine is enough to fight the coronavirus vaccine.

The coronavirus is reported to spread much more easily during the winter season, due to the number of people who gather inside. Last week, Europe alone was responsible for more than half of the average 7-day infections all over the world, and about half of the latest coronavirus-related deaths worldwide. This was according to a Reuters tally, which showed the highest levels recorded since April 2021 when the coronavirus was at its peak in Italy.

The government of Austria, which is led by conservatives stated that only around 2 million people in the country of about 9 million people were allowed to leave their homes for only a limited number of reasons. When announcing the new measure at a news conference, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said that the unvaccinated can only leave their homes for reasons like shopping for essentials or going to work. Schallenberg stated that the decision was not being made lightly, but was a necessary decision for the country. Schallenberg also made clear that the point of the lockdown was not to lock the unvaccinated up, but to get them vaccinated instead.

Only about 65% of Austria’s entire population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus; this is one of the lowest rates in all of Western Europe. A sizeable number of Austrian citizens and residents are skeptical about the validity of vaccines, a point of view which is encouraged by the Freedom Party (the third largest party in Austrian parliament).

These new measures will expand on the previously-announced measures which banned the unvaccinated from places like restaurants, ski lifts, hotels and theatres. This new lockdown has been said to last 10 days at the initial stage, according to Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein.