Austria's focus shifts to full lockdown as COVID-19 cases keep rising

As the Coronavirus’ fourth wave ravages Europe in full force, Austria is planning to impose a full-fledged lockdown for all its citizens, the European press reports confirmed on Nov 19. The country’s seven-day infection rate spiked to 971.5 per 100,000 people, one of the highest recorded in the European continent as of Thursday. As the infections drastically spiked, at least two Austrian states – Salzburg and Upper Austria instated total lockdown irrespective of the citizens’ vaccination status. Although the Austrian federal government remained divided about the rule mainly conservative chancellor Alexander Schallenberg, who asserted, that the inoculations have done their “fair share” by demonstrating solidarity with the society when they decided to get the jab.

“We don’t have a lot of leeway, regarding the surge in COVID cases” the governor of Upper Austria, Thomas Stelzer, said on Thursday (18 November),European online news portal Euractiv reported. Meanhwile, echoing similar sentiments, the governor in Salzburg, Wilfried Haslauer, agreed that there is “no alternative” to a lockdown.

Fearing a sudden spike in the rate of hospitalizations, the Austrian Medical Chamber called for compulsory vaccinations to get the pandemic under control. Governors of Vienna and Burgenland demanded that a strict lockdown must be imposed to curb the rising infections. Economic minister Margrete Schramböck, meanwhile, pushed for the introduction of mandatory vaccinations. With 66 per cent of the total population fully vaccinated against the novel virus, Austria has the lowest percentage of the fully jabbed population across the EU. 

Alpine country Austria imposed lockdown for 'unvaccinated'

The Alpine country Austria imposed a lockdown for its 2 million unvaccinated citizens. Unvaccinated individuals aged 12 and above are now prohibited from leaving their houses except for essential activities like working, food shopping, taking a stroll, or being vaccinated. This restriction does not pertain to children who are under the age of 12 as they do not have the authority of being inoculated.  Schallenberg highlighted the fact that the number of infections over the seven days for vaccinated persons has been down in recent days, but on the other hand, it has been rapidly climbing among the unvaccinated. 

“The rate for the unvaccinated is at over 1,700, while for the vaccinated it is at 383,” the Austrian chancellor was quoted as saying by AP. Further, he said that individuals who have already been fully vaccinated should obtain a booster dose or else "we will never get out of this vicious circle.”