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AUSTRIA IMPLEMENTS TOTAL LOCKDOWN DUE TO INCREASE IN COVID-19 CASES

AUSTRIA has again implemented a total lockdown since Monday (11/22) due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country. According to the austria.info website, this policy is planned to be implemented until December 13, 2021, and there will be a review after 10 days.

Travel with tourist destinations to Austria cannot be carried out during this period. This lockdown is the fourth time it has been implemented in Austria since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. To note, this policy was implemented a few days after the lockdown for people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 starting November 15, 2021.

During this total lockdown, people are asked to work from home. They can only leave the house if there is an important need. Restaurants, bars, theaters and shops in non-essential areas were asked to temporarily close.

“Lockdown, a relatively difficult method, is the only option to reduce the number (of infections) in the country,” said Austrian Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein, quoted by the BBC. It was reported that there were 15,809 cases with a population of around under nine million in Austria on November 20, 2021. Previously, the World Health Organization or WHO had warned of a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in the European continent.

WHO Director for Europe Hans Kluge said an additional half a million deaths could occur next spring if health protocols are not strictly enforced in the region. The health protocols he meant were vaccinations, wearing masks, and applying the COVID-19 pass. [sources/photo special]