Austria has decided to confine on Monday people who have not been vaccinated or who have not recently contracted COVID-19, a first in the European Union (EU), which aims to stem the record number of new cases.
” The situation is serious […]. We are not taking this step with a light heart, but, unfortunately, it is necessary, ”Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said at a press conference in Vienna on Sunday.
About 65% of the population has a complete vaccination schedule in Austria, which is lower than the European average of 67% and far from countries like Spain (79%) or France (75%). Mr. Schallenberg had described this rate as “shamefully low” when he reported on this containment project on Friday.
Concretely, the people concerned will not have the right to leave their home, except for shopping, sports or for medical care. The measure applies from the age of 12.
Unannounced checks “of unprecedented magnitude” will be carried out in the public space, the government said, which will set up additional police patrols. Violators risk a fine of 500 euros ($ 718), and those who refuse to submit to inspections 1,450 euros ($ 2,082).
The government will assess the effect of these restrictions in ten days, said Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein on Sunday, calling on the refractory to be vaccinated as soon as possible. A parliamentary committee gave the green light to the measure on Sunday evening, with the support of the Conservative Party and the Greens, members of the ruling coalition. The opposition voted against.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the afternoon in front of the chancellery, waving signs saying “no to compulsory vaccination”. The unvaccinated are already banned from restaurants, hotels and hairdressing salons.
More than 13,000 new cases were recorded on Saturday in this country of 9.8 million inhabitants, the highest since the start of the pandemic which killed 11,700 people. Europe is affected by a new wave of the pandemic, which has prompted several countries to reinstate restrictions, such as in the Netherlands or Norway.