Austria is set to impose a lockdown for the unvaccinated in the coming days as COVID-19 case numbers reach record highs in the country.
Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg has said that an incremental plan agreed on in September states that the unvaccinated will be put on lockdown once 30% of beds for COVID-19 patients in intensive care units are occupied. As of press time, the occupancy rate of COVID-19 beds in ICUs is at 20%.
The province of Upper Austria is planning to impose a lockdown for the unvaccinated on Monday should the federal government agree.
Austria has over 900,000 COVID-19 cases in total as of press time. More than 11,000 people have died in the country.
Austria to Impose Lockdown for the Unvaccinated
Austria is set to impose a lockdown for the unvaccinated in the coming days as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, according to Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg. This comes as the European country sees record daily COVID-19 infections.
According to a report by Reuters, "Under an incremental government plan agreed in September, once 30% of intensive-care beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, people not vaccinated against the coronavirus will be placed under lockdown, with restrictions on their daily movements."
"According to the incremental plan we actually have just days until we have to introduce the lockdown for unvaccinated people," said Schallenberg.
As of writing, the occupancy rate of COVID-19 beds in ICUs is at 20%.
The Austrian government has already banned unvaccinated people from restaurants, theatres, and the like. They are also not allowed on ski lifts.
Chancellor Schallenberg has clarified that a lockdown for the unvaccinated means that those affected cannot leave home unless they have to go to work or shop for essentials.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently said that Europe is the COVID-19 epicenter once again.
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Upper Austria Plans to Impose Lockdown on Monday
The province of Upper Austria, which has the lowest vaccination rates among the nine provinces of the country as well as the highest infection rate, is planning to impose a lockdown for the unvaccinated sooner than the rest of Austria.
Upper Austria is planning to impose the lockdown for the unvaccinated on Monday, November 15.
According to a BBC report, the lockdown in Upper Austria will be imposed "if it gets the go-ahead from the federal government."
Austria's COVID-19 Numbers
Per the BBC report, a national record of 11,975 COVID-19 infections has been recorded within the past 24 hours. 65% of Austria's population is fully vaccinated, according to Reuters, but the country has the lowest vaccination rate in Western Europe aside from Liechtenstein.
Chancellor Schallenberg has said his country's vaccination rate is "shamefully low."
According to the COVID-19 tracker of the WHO, Austria has a total number of 908,006 COVID-19 cases as of November 11, 7:19 p.m. CET. The country has reported 11,259 deaths.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isabella James
