Corona hammer in Austria – lockdown only for unvaccinated people decided – foreign policy

by time news

It is an announcement with force …

In the Corona crisis, Austria’s government is increasing the pressure on unvaccinated people with a drastic threat! If the situation in the intensive care units worsens dramatically, unvaccinated persons will have to go into lockdown.

This was decided by Austria’s federal government around the new Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg (52) and the country representatives at a joint video conference on Friday evening, reports “Blick”.

Decisive for this is the critical mark of 30 percent utilization of the intensive care units. In Austria this corresponds to 600 intensive care beds.

Schallenberg hopes for a “signal effect”

Reason: “We are about to stumble into a pandemic of unprotected unvaccinated people,” said the head of government. Schallenberg ruled out a lockdown for those who had been vaccinated or recovered.

He hoped that these plans would send a signal. There are still too many “hesitants and procrastinators,” said Schallenberg, referring to the vaccination skeptics.

Background: Despite the recent significant increase in the number of new infections, the situation in Austria’s intensive care units is still largely stable. Around 220 intensive care beds are currently occupied by Covid patients.

Should this number rise to 600, then the fifth and last stage of the step-by-step plan with massive exit restrictions for unvaccinated people would have been reached.

“Only with exceptional reasons from the house”

Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (47) according to “Blick”: “Those who have been tested are only allowed to leave the house in exceptional cases.”

According to “Blick”, such exceptions would be driving to work or shopping for everyday goods. Experts still have to clarify a precise design of the provision. “We are currently at level one, we are looking very far into the future,” said Mückstein.

The seven-day incidence is just under 230 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week. In Germany it is currently around 95. The rate of fully vaccinated people is 62 percent, which is slightly below the German figure.

From November 1st, new rules in the workplace

The Austrian government recently decided that from November 1st, many employees at work will have to prove whether they have been vaccinated, regularly tested or have recovered from Covid-19. In the new step-by-step plan, it is now planned that from an occupancy of 400 intensive care beds, only PCR tests are valid as evidence.

The great dynamic in vaccinations in early summer had weakened extremely in the last few weeks. On individual days, only a few thousand doses of corona vaccines were injected.

The ultra-right FPÖ fueled the vaccination skepticism considerably. In the most recent state parliament election in Upper Austria, the newly formed party of vaccination critics MFG (people, freedom, basic rights) immediately reached six percent and entered the state parliament.

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