Vienna zoo reopens as Austria eases lockdown measures

Zoos are among facilities reopening in Austria, along with schools, shops, hairdressers and museums, as the country eases coronavirus restrictions following a third lockdown. Vienna Zoo - the oldest in the world - is allowed to reopen under strict social distancing rules.

It will let in 1500 visitors at a time and FFP2 masks are mandatory – even when outside.Visitors are encouraged to book their visit to the zoo online ahead of time.At many animal compounds the number of visitors allowed inside will be strictly limited, and no more than one person is allowed in a 20 square metre zone.

On Monday morning long lines formed in front of the Koala compound and others, with many visitors expressing delight at being allowed back.The lockdown in Austria had been in place since December 26th.

While the government has said that the country needs to get as close as possible to an infection level of 50 new cases per 100-thousand residents over seven days, the figure is still considerably higher - currently 108.This, as well as concerns over the spread of new coronavirus variants, means restrictions will be eased slowly.

People going to the hairdresser's will need to show a negative test result that's at most 48 hours old.In shops, customers have to wear full protective masks rather than just fabric face coverings.Restaurants and hotels remain closed, and authorities say they won't reopen this month.