The Austrians are very close to the first lockdown aimed only at people who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19. The controversial measure should be adopted to try to contain a new wave of infections in the country, which reached a record level. Austria now has the fourth highest rate of new cases in the world.
Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said a national lockdown for the unvaccinated was “probably inevitable”. For him, two-thirds of people should not suffer because others were hesitant about immunization.
Currently, inhabitants of Austria who have not been vaccinated already face difficulties in going to closed spaces, but such a lockdown would mean that they could only leave the house for essential reasons.
Upper Austria province is expected to impose these targeted restrictions from Monday (15) if it gets the green light from the federal government. Salzburg also plans to adopt these measures.
With a population of 1.5 million people, Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, and has the highest level of infection and the lowest vaccination rate in the country of nine million people.
Nationwide, the Austrian government recorded a record 11,975 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. The average daily death rate (currently 26) is the highest since April this year, but it is still far from the record in December 2020, with 130 deaths a day.
In a publicized warning, Austria’s coronavirus commission says the explosion of cases is a threat that “should be taken seriously”.
The incidence rate over the past seven days in Austria is much higher than in neighboring Germany, where Health Minister Jens Spahn has also warned of a pandemic involving many more unvaccinated people.
On November 11, Germany registered more than 50,000 new cases for the first time in the pandemic. The 67.3% vaccination rate in Germany is slightly higher than in Austria, with 63% of the population fully vaccinated. German states have also begun to crack down on unvaccinated people.
In the state of Brandenburg, those who have not been vaccinated will be banned from restaurants, hotels, cinemas and theaters from November 15, under a rule that limits access to people who have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19.
On the other hand, the Netherlands is close to becoming the first western country to re-adopt a national lockdown because of the new wave of coronavirus cases and hospital admissions, with record infections.
Currently, 73% of the Dutch population is fully vaccinated. In comparison, the rate in Brazil is almost 60%, according to comparative data from the University of Oxford (United Kingdom).
The new restrictions on the movement of people, described as a partial lockdown, are expected to be adopted in the coming days. Dutch media reports point out that the government plans to implement three weeks of restrictions, with limited opening hours for non-essential shops along with cafes, restaurants and hotels.
Public sporting events, including professional football, must again take place behind closed doors.
Analysis: Bethany Bell, BBC correspondent in Austria
Austria has registered the highest number of new cases per day since the start of the pandemic and wants to avoid blocking those vaccinated.
It has already banned the unvaccinated from going to restaurants, cinemas, ski lifts and hairdressers, but things are about to get even more difficult in Upper Austria.
The province is introducing a lockdown for the unvaccinated.
According to the Austrian chancellor, this means that people who have not been vaccinated will not be able to leave the house, unless it is for essential reasons such as going to work, buying food or exercising.
Critics of the measure say it will be very difficult to implement this type of lockdown.
If infections continue to rise, officials say lockdowns for the unvaccinated could be introduced in other areas.
The Freedom Party, the oppositional right-wing acronym, has run several campaigns with unfounded criticisms of the safety of the Covid-19 vaccine, and the message resonated with many Austrians. For the party, this new lockdown will create a group of second-class citizens.
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