Dhe 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.
Emergency brake pulled on November 22nd
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.
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, opponents of vaccination can face 600 euros every three months, in a regular procedure up to 3600 euros threaten.
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