Austria to impose lockdown on unvaccinated population amid Covid-19 surge

Vienna, Nov 12 (EFE).- The Austrian government announced on Friday it plans to impose a lockdown on the millions of unvaccinated people as the country faces a spike in Covid-19 infections.

The Upper Austria region, the country’s worst-affected province, said on Thursday it would impose the lockdown starting Monday if the federal government would support it.

Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said it would give the green light to the lockdown in view of the “shameful” vaccination rate in Austria.

“The situation is very tense. We want to find unique solutions for the whole country, for all the federated states,” Schallenberg said.

Some 65% of the Austrian population has been fully vaccinated against severe Covid-19 symptoms, one of the lowest rates in Europe.

Under the lockdown, unvaccinated Austrians will be limited in their movements and allowed to leave their houses only to go to work, shop for essentials as well as be denied access to restaurants, hotels, hair salons and public events.

Skepticism around the vaccine is led by the far-right freedom party, the third largest in parliament. EFE

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