Austria has made the coronavirus vaccine mandatory. At the same time, there is a complete lockdown in the country. Among the Western European countries, Austria is going to issue a complete lockdown again. Steps have been taken to stem the tide of infection.
The Austrian government says it will vaccinate everyone in the country by next February. The announcement comes at a time when two-thirds of the country’s population has received two doses of the vaccine.
Austria has one of the highest rates of infection among European countries. Those who have not been vaccinated have been under lockdown since last Monday. Then there is the news of a new record of infection.
The worst-affected provinces in the country are Salzburg and Upper Austria. The two provinces said on Thursday they were imposing a lockdown on themselves. Steps have been taken to put pressure on the government to issue a lockdown across the country.
Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schalenberg told a news conference that the lockdown had been in effect since Monday. He also accused those who do not want to be vaccinated of attacking the health system.
Due to the new restrictions, people will no longer be allowed to go out of the house without a special reason. They will be allowed to go out of the house for necessary activities like buying necessities and exercising.
In many parts of the country, more than a thousand people are being infected for every one million people. That is why a complete lockdown has been imposed in the country.
People have been urged to reduce social contact. It has also been warned that vaccines alone cannot reduce the risk of infection.
Austria’s neighbor Hungary, meanwhile, says the country has been forced to wear masks again at home since Saturday. On the other hand, a partial lockdown has been issued in the Netherlands. Bars and restaurants have been ordered to close at 8 pm.
