The Austrian government is considering specific freedom restrictions for unvaccinated people if the infection rates and hospital occupancy by Covid-19 patients continue to rise. “We are on the brink of a pandemic among people who are not protected against the virus,” Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said Friday evening after a crisis meeting of his government.
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He ruled out a lockdown of the Alpine Republic for people who have been vaccinated against or have recovered from Covid-19. He does hope that the threat of measures against unvaccinated people will be a signal. According to Schallenberg, there are still too many “doubters and procrastinators” in his country. According to Austrian media, they may have to deal with possible lockdown measures, such as being forced to stay at home and only going out for groceries or a doctor’s visit.
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About 62 percent of the Austrian population has now been fully vaccinated. There are now 220 Covid patients in the intensive care units of hospitals, a sharp increase and comparable to the situation six months ago. When that number rises to 600, the freedom restrictions for unvaccinated people will come into effect.
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Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein states that Austria is currently only in phase 1 of the plans and that “we are looking far into the future”. Despite this, the vaccination campaign has virtually come to a halt, with only a few thousand shots per day.
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Earlier this week, the government announced that most workers in Austria must demonstrate that they have been vaccinated against corona, tested negative or have been cured from next month. The health authorities are going to do samples in companies. Employees who cannot show proof of their corona status risk a fine of 500 euros. Employers have to pay 3,600 euros, the government decided.
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Fines can be avoided by enforcing the rules by employers and the possibility to work from home for those who refuse to prove their condition. There are exceptions for employees who do not have regular contact with other people, such as truck drivers.
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