Europe establishes stricter measures for unvaccinated 2:02
(CNN) -
Austria will return to national lockdown and plans to become the first country in Europe to make the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for all eligible individuals as the nation's coronavirus crisis deepens, announced the Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg Friday.
Schallenberg said his government would seek to impose the national vaccine requirement from February 1, 2022. About 65% of Austria's population is fully vaccinated against covid-19, one of the lowest rates in the European Union, where cases are increasing.
The national lockdown, the first in Europe this fall, begins on Monday and will last a minimum of 10 days.
And it could be extended for another 10 days, Schallenberg told reporters at a press conference in Vienna.
The move comes just days after Austria took the step, unprecedented in Europe, of imposing confinement measures for all those over the age of 12 who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The brothel that gives you a coupon of US $ 45 for getting vaccinated 0:50
Under those measures, which took effect on November 15, the unvaccinated were ordered to stay home, except for a few limited reasons, and the rules were controlled by officers conducting on-the-spot checks.
Austrian Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein said on Friday that schools and kindergartens would remain open during the upcoming national lockdown.
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But Schallenberg said it was possible for parents to take their children out of school if they wanted to.
"This is always a challenge, for all families," he said.
During Austria's first lockdown, schools and kindergartens were closed.
Mückstein also urged the use of FFP2 masks in all enclosed spaces, saying that employees could request the option to work from home whenever possible.
Once the national lockdown is lifted, the measure will remain in effect for unvaccinated Austrians, Mückstein said.
And he added that everything possible should be done to avoid a "fifth wave."
Germany prepares
On Thursday, neighboring Germany also announced plans to introduce specific restrictions on the unvaccinated.
This to address record levels of infections amid its fourth wave of the pandemic.
Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel described the pandemic situation in the country as "dramatic" and "very worrying" at a press conference on Thursday.
It happened after a meeting with the 16 leaders of the federal states of Germany on stricter measures against covid-19.
Merkel warned that intensive care unit beds were filling up too quickly.
And he added that "it is time to act."
Austria
