When exactly the lockdown will start is still unknown, but that it will come is, according to the chancellor, ‘inevitable’. The provinces of Salzburg and Upper Austria are not waiting for the government’s decision and have already indicated that they will introduce the targeted lockdown on Monday.
Austria is the first country in the world to declare a lockdown for unvaccinated only.
Just joins
The same rules that applied during previous lockdowns will soon be reintroduced. Only to the supermarket, to work and outside for exercise. This will soon become reality for Susan Sevensma. She is not vaccinated. “The net is closing further and further.”
–
–
Like Susan, a third of Austrians are unvaccinated. At 65 percent, the country has the lowest vaccination rate in all of Western Europe, according to the European health service ECDC. “Shameful,” according to Chancellor Schallenberg.
Rik van Ooijen has lived in the state of Carinthia in Austria since 2017 and is not surprised by that figure: “We are in an FPÖ stronghold here.” The right-wing populist party has been conducting an anti-vaccination campaign for some time. “People here don’t believe that corona exists, or think it’s just a regular flu.”
Health
Tom Zegers rents out holiday homes and also notices that many people do not want to be vaccinated. “People don’t live so close to each other here, they don’t have that many contacts. They are quite involved with organic food and health and don’t want to be injected just like that.”
–
–
Svensma agrees with this. She does believe in corona, but does not think vaccination is the solution. “Let them focus on healthy nutrition, enough exercise and education.”
2G Policy
The 2G measure was introduced in Austria on Monday. Only the people who have been vaccinated or cured receive a QR code. The 3G policy applied to this, and someone who tested negative for corona was also welcome.
Esther Bijl runs a hotel in Tyrol and was relieved when the G for ‘tested’ was removed from the policy. “It was a hassle to check all those tests. Everyone used a different test. Many German tourists even came with a handwritten note that their self-test was negative. Now it is clearer.”
–
–
But she does not agree with the announced lockdown. “Why not go into the catering industry with a test? Soon, unvaccinated people will be allowed to work in the catering industry, but those who serve them on the terrace must be vaccinated. Why would you make that divide?”
Skiing in France
This step is also going too far for Kelly Ablas. “I can’t imagine that you will soon have to justify on the street whether or not you have been vaccinated.” As a ski instructor in Tyrol, she follows the news of the planned lockdown with excitement. “I’m worried. In France you can still ski as a non-vaccinated person. What if everyone goes there later?”
–
–
Zegers, who is also a ski instructor, sees it differently. “Perhaps it will become more attractive to go to Austria for winter sports. With the low vaccination coverage, many Austrians will soon not be allowed to ski, so it will be a lot quieter on the slopes.”
Only at Christmas
The lockdown that will soon follow is no reason for the unvaccinated Sevensma to be vaccinated anyway. Not even if that means she’ll be home alone for Christmas. In addition to her 11-year-old son, the rest of her family has been vaccinated. “Then I’ll go into nature.”
–
–
