The percentage of vaccination against the coronavirus in Austria reaches 65%.
Given the incessant rise in infections with the coronavirus and the growing hospital pressure, the conservative-environmental government of Austria decided this Sunday to restrict the mobility of people not immunized against covid-19 as of this midnight.
“The situation is serious. The fourth wave (of the pandemic) affects us fully. This is due to the delta variant (of the virus) but also to the low vaccination rate ”, the federal chancellor, the conservative Alexander Schallenberg, told the press.
The measures announced today are estimated to affect about 2 million of the 8.9 million people living in the Central European country, where the percentage of vaccination reaches 65%.
Embarrassing percentage
“The percentage of vaccination is shamefully low and without raising it we will not be able to get out of this vicious circle (of the pandemic),” said the Austrian Chancellor.
From Monday, Non-immunized people will only be able to leave their homes to go to work, to their study center or to meet basic needs such as buying food and medicine, to go to the doctor or vaccination centers.
In addition, like previous restrictions or general confinements against the pandemic in the past, they will be able to go for a walk near their homes.
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Children under 12 years of age and pregnant women will not be affected by this measure, as will high school students.
It will be prohibited, under threat of complaint and fine, to go shopping in non-essential stores, to go to restaurants, bars, gyms and cultural and sporting events, among others.
High incidence among the unvaccinated
According to Schallenberg, the incidence of contagion among unvaccinated people is in Austria at about 1,700 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days, with a strong upward trend.
Meanwhile, the incidence among vaccinated people stands at 383 cases per 100,000 people, with a downward trend.
For this reason, Schallenberg pointed out, the Austrian government must protect unimmunized people by reducing social contacts between all sectors of the population.
Anti-vaccines and their ‘freedom’ to infect us
To achieve tangible results, these contacts need to be reduced by 30%, said Austrian Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein, who also spoke of a “very serious” situation.
Doubts from the experts
Many experts doubt that the measures announced today can achieve the necessary results.
A study presented in Vienna last Friday and endorsed by 33 scientists calls for broader restrictions, such as forcing those vaccinated to also present negative PCR tests in public places, such as restaurants, cinemas, theaters and cinemas, which are obtained in Austria free.
The measures announced today will be controlled by the Austrian police on a random basis, with fines for non-compliance of up to 500 euros ($ 570) for individuals and up to 3,600 euros ($ 4,129) for establishments that do not comply with the rules.
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The norm that includes the restrictions will be adopted tonight by the Austrian Parliament for an initial period of ten days (until November 24), with the option of being later extended, which will require a new parliamentary vote.
While the executive leadership announced its latest restrictions, outside the government headquarters in Vienna hundreds of protesters protested against the measures.
They do not rule out more
Health Minister Mückstein did not rule out “the need for more measures”, without giving details, in case the restrictions announced today do not have the desired effect.
Of course, excluded for the moment is a general confinement for the entire population, whether it is immunized or not, as it is considered by the Government as “unfair” against the population that has been protected with the vaccine.
Since last November 8, non-immunized people could no longer access restaurants and bars, a measure that has significantly boosted the rate of vaccination in the country, including tens of thousands who have now come to receive the third dose.
Health authorities reported today 11,552 new infections with the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, with an overall incidence in seven days of 815 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020, 11,706 people have died in Austria from complications with covid-19, while 2,327 are currently hospitalized, of them 433 in intensive care units. (I)
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