The three-week lockdown has been over almost across the country since midnight.
(Photo: dpa)
Vienna The three-week lockdown in Austria has been over almost across the country since midnight. Theaters, museums and leisure facilities are reopening. Trading follows on Monday. The procedure is different in the catering and hotel industries.
Only in the federal states of Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Burgenland are hotels and restaurants allowed to receive guests again on Sunday. The federal states of Salzburg, Lower Austria, Carinthia and Vienna will only allow this in a few days or a week. The federal state of Upper Austria will remain in lockdown until December 17th.
Nationwide, there is an FFP2 mask requirement indoors and a curfew for restaurants at 11 p.m. The night gastronomy and the après-ski bars remain closed.
The lifting of the exit restrictions only affects those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered. Until further notice, all unvaccinated persons are only allowed to leave their homes to go to work, to do daily shopping or to relax.
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In view of the massive fourth corona wave and the high load on the clinics with Covid patients, the federal government pulled the emergency brake on November 22nd. Since then, the seven-day incidence has fallen significantly – from more than 1,100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants to 380 within a week.
The situation in the clinics has eased slightly. However, experts warn that the improvement in the situation will not be sufficient to be prepared for a fifth wave threatened by the Omikron variant.
In order to increase the pressure on the unvaccinated, the introduction of a general compulsory corona vaccination is planned for February 1st. According to the draft law, high fines are threatened for objectors. In a shortened procedure, vaccination opponents can face 600 euros every three months, in a regular procedure up to 3600 euros threaten.
Around 44,000 people protest against Corona measures in Vienna
On Saturday there were again demonstrations against the Corona measures in Austria. According to the police, around 15,000 people came together at a rally on Saturday on Heldenplatz in Vienna. According to the authorities, a total of around 44,000 people took part in the subsequent protest march.
In order to increase the pressure on the unvaccinated, the introduction of a general compulsory corona vaccination is planned for February 1st.
(Photo: imago images / SEPA.Media)
At the rally, the head of the right-wing FPÖ, Herbert Kickl, called for resistance to the mandatory vaccination plan planned for February. This measure as well as the unlimited lockdown for unvaccinated people are an “attack on humanity”. “This government is acting sadistically,” said the right-wing populist in front of his supporters.
With the support of four of the five parliamentary parties, the government is planning a mandatory vaccination in preparation for further corona waves. There are high fines for those who refuse to be vaccinated.
In the past few weeks there had been several large demonstrations against the government’s corona policy in Vienna. More than 40,000 people took part in each of the protests.
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