Coronavirus: Austria tightens entry rules | News from Germany about Europe

The Austrian authorities are introducing additional restrictions on entry into the country in order to slow the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus there. The Ministry of Health in Vienna on Friday, December 17, announced that from December 20, visitors will be required to have documents confirming the presence of a triple vaccination against coronavirus, or a certificate of a covid disease transferred over the last year. Those who have not received the third, booster vaccine, will have to show a negative PCR test or immediately go to quarantine.

This rule will not apply to pregnant women and citizens for whom the coronavirus vaccine is contraindicated for medical reasons. At the same time, for those who regularly cross the Austrian border for work purposes, the 3G rule remains, according to which it is allowed to present a negative coronavirus test for entry.

Entry rules for tourists in Austria

On December 12, in Austria, a nationwide lockdown stopped spreading to those vaccinated against coronavirus and those who had covid. The next day, December 13, the Austrian national travel agency Österreich Werbung, in response to a request from DW, reported that the 2G rule (mandatory provision of a certificate of recovery from covid – “genesen”, or full vaccination – “geimpft”) will continue to apply in the country. , as well as the compulsory wearing of the FFP2 standard mask in enclosed spaces.

“For all persons over the age of 12, a trip to Austria with a tourist purpose is possible only in the case of a full vaccination against coronavirus or a certificate of a previous COVID-19 disease,” the agency said then, adding that the Russian Sputnik V vaccine of the authorities countries do not recognize.

Protests against quarantine restrictions in Austria

Since the start of the pandemic in Austria, 1,245,232 people have been confirmed infected with the coronavirus, according to Worldometer. Most of the patients – 1 180 605 – managed to overcome the infection. 13 438 people became victims of COVID-19.

In February 2022, compulsory nationwide vaccination against coronavirus is to begin in Austria. Since the end of November, thousands of protests by opponents of this measure and other quarantine restrictions have been held in the country every weekend. On December 11, 44 thousand people took part in a similar action in Vienna.

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“Sputnik V”: the very first registration
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Sanofi: two failures and help to the European Union
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Johnson & Johnson: One dose is enough
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Author: Andrey Gurkov