Austria is days away from placing millions of people not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on lockdown Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said today.
Current infection rates in the country are at all-time highs, which has put intensive care units under increased pressure.
A government incremental plan in September agreed that people who are not currently vaccinated against the coronavirus should be kept under lockdown once they have occupied 30% of ICU beds.
Current levels are at 20 percent and increasing fast.
According to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, approximately 65 percent of Austrians are fully vaccinated against coronavirus. This is the lowest level of vaccination in Western Europe, other than tiny Liechtenstein.
Schallenberg said, ‘According the incremental plan, we actually have just days before we have to institute the lockdown for people unvaccinated,’ at a news conference held in Vorarlberg. Schallenberg added that Austria’s vaccination rates are’shamefully high’.
Austria’s infection rate at the moment is nearly double the UK’s and higher than that seen in Britain during pandemic.
Experts in the Netherlands have suggested that their government implement a partial lockdown for two weeks. This would mark the first Western Europe-wide lockdown since widespread use of vaccines. The German vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet with ministers to discuss how new restrictions can be implemented.
Alexander Schallenberg, Austrian Chancellor, said that the country is just days away from locking down millions of COVID-19-infected people. Daily infections have reached a new record.
Around 65 per cent of Austria’s population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, the lowest rate of any Western European country apart from tiny Liechtenstein, according to European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control data (pictured: man receiving vaccine in mobile vaccination station in Vienna)
On Friday, the conservative-led government stated that unvaccinated persons would be barred from all restaurants, theatres, and ski lifts.
Schallenberg described the lockdown as “a restriction on unvaccinated persons” that prohibits them from leaving their homes unless they are going to work or shopping for essentials. Schallenberg was referring to three nationwide lockdowns in 2019.
Austrians have a lot of doubts about vaccinations. That is the view promoted by the Freedom Party (the third-biggest party in parliament), while the opposition centrist parties accused the government for doing too little over months to increase vaccinations and control infections.
Some conservatives believe that locking down the unvaccinated should not be enforced. Schallenberg stated however, that police officers would perform spot checks to verify restrictions were being followed.
Austria’s surge comes as Eastern European countries, which have the lowest levels of vaccination, are suffering some the highest daily deaths per capita.
Experts in the Netherlands have suggested that their government implement a partial lockdown for two weeks. This would be the Western Europe’s first such lockdown since the widespread use of vaccines. Germany’s Health Ministry today announced that Germany’s Covid cases exceeded 50,000. The report comes as German politicians meet to consider the possibility to introduce winter lockdowns.
Meanwhile, Germany’s health ministry today reported that the nation’s one-day Covid case toll has topped 50,000 for the first time as politicians meet to discuss the possibility of winter lockdown measures.
Robert Koch Institute today registered 50,196 additional cases. This is up from the 33,949 daily instances a week before. The alarming news comes hours after an expert on virology warned of 100,000 winter deaths if action is not taken.
Christian Drosten of Berlin’s Charite University Hospital said that the country needs to increase its vaccination rates quickly to avoid catastrophe. He also stated that hospitals should stop performing routine procedures to concentrate on Covid patients.
Olaf Scholz is the expected next Chancellor of the country. He said that he would host a meeting with state leaders to discuss Covid restrictions.
Scholz stated, “What is needed now is that the country pulls together in one direction.”
“It’s very, very important to take all measures necessary to protect the health and well-being of citizens in our country.
Germany has vaccinated approximately 67% of its citizens against Covid. This is about the same as in the UK.
The country still lags behind in its use of booster shots. The UK has already administered over 11 million booster doses and is now offering them to all 50-plus.
Dutch considering new partial lockdown when coronavirus cases reach record
As new coronavirus infections rose to their highest levels since the outbreak, the Dutch government will be considering whether it should impose a partial lockdown in Western Europe.
The country has seen an increase in the number of infections since September, when social distancing policies were removed. This pressure led to hospitals across the nation having to cut back on regular care due to COVID-19-related patients.
The number of coronavirus cases in this country, which has 17.5 millions people, have nearly doubled over the past week. On Thursday, the record for the most recent infections was set at 16,300.
According to broadcaster NOS, the pandemic advisory committee of the government recommended that a partial lockdown be imposed, which would mean closing theaters and cinemas. It also suggested scrapping large events, and closing cafés and restaurants.
Cabinet of the Caretaker Prime Minster Mark Rutte will be discussing this advice in an emergency meeting tonight. Then, it will declare its conclusions during a televised conference to be held Friday at 1800 GMT.
The government follows often the recommendations of expert panels.
The advice states that after two weeks of partial lockdown during which schools are still open, only those with a confirmed coronavirus infection or who have had their last dose should be allowed to enter public areas.
The Netherlands only has provided boost shots to people who have weak immune systems. In December it will begin offering the shots to those aged 80 and over, with additional shots available for people older than 60.
Around 85 per cent of the adult population in the Netherlands has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Last month, roughly 56 per cent of Dutch COVID-19 patients in hospitals and 70% of those in intensive care were unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated.
The median age for COVID-19-unvaccinated Dutch patients was 59 years, compared with 77 for vaccinated, according to data from the Netherlands Institute for Health (RIVM).
The Netherlands has reintroduced the masks last week and increased the number of places that require a “corona pass” that proves vaccination or a negative result to be granted access.