Austria records rapid surge in COVID-19 cases; announces lockdown, mandatory vaccination

Austria announced fresh COVID-19 lockdown measures and mandatory vaccinations after the country recorded a new high in coronavirus infections on Friday, November 19.  The announcements come as vaccination rates in Austria have reached one of the lowest levels in Western Europe, and hospitals in hard-hit provinces have warned that their intensive care units are overburdened.

The lockdown will begin on Monday, November 22, and last for 10 days before being re-evaluated, AP reported, citing Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg. The country will also make vaccinations mandatory beginning February 1, though the chancellor provided little information about what that entails or how it will function. Austria would have one of the strictest immunisation standards in the world if it imposes the mandate.

Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said that individuals who do not comply would most likely be penalised, but provided no other information. It should be mentioned here that Austria's decision comes days after Chancellor Schallenberg had said that a full lockdown would not be necessary and that restrictions would only apply to individuals who had not been vaccinated.

Daily COVID cases triple in Austria 

Austria is one of several western European countries where infections are rapidly spreading, raising concerns that vaccination rates, while high, would not be enough to prevent a winter rise in hospital admissions. In Austria, daily cases have nearly tripled in the last two weeks, while daily deaths have nearly doubled, albeit fatalities are still considerably below last winter's highs. According to government statistics, only about 66% of Austria's 8.9 million people are fully vaccinated. It has explored a variety of methods to raise that number. Austria established a "green pass" this summer, which requires confirmation of immunisation, recovery from COVID-19, or a negative test result to enter restaurants and attend cultural events.

"I believe we can all agree that increasing vaccination rates is the best way to stop the vicious cycle of virus waves and lockdown talks for good. We don't want a fifth, sixth, or seventh wave," Schallenberg said.

The consequences of the lockdown will be evaluated after 10 days. If virus cases have not decreased significantly, the lockdown may be extended for up to 20 days. Booster shots are also now accessible to all immunised people four months following their second dosage. Government officials had long promised that persons who had been vaccinated would no longer be subjected to lockdown restrictions. The pandemic was declared "over" for individuals who had gotten the vaccine by then-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz throughout the summer. However, since the number of covid cases continued to rise, the administration stated that it had no choice but to extend it to everyone.

(With inputs from agencies, Image: AP)