As of 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.
Given the incessant rise in infections with the coronavirus and the growing hospital pressure, the conservative-environmentalist government of Austria has 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, told the press. Alexander Schallenberg.
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%.
“The vaccination rate is shamefully low”
“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.
As of 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.
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.
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.
11,552 new infections with the coronavirus in the last 24 hours
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.
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