Faced with the incessant rise in infections with the coronavirus and growing hospital pressure, the conservative-environmentalist government of Austria decided this Sunday to restrict from this midnight the mobility of the people not immunized against Covid-19.
“The situation is serious. The fourth wave of the pandemic affects us fully. This is due to the delta variant of the virus but also to the low vaccination rate,” the Federal Chancellor, the Conservative, told the press. Alexander Schallenberg.
The measures announced today are estimated to affect some 2 million of the 8.9 million people who live in the Central European country, where the vaccination rate reaches 65 percent.
Embarrassing percentage
As of Monday, non-immunized people will only be able to leave their homes to go to work, to their study center or to meet basic needs such as buying food and medicine, to go to the doctor or vaccination centers.
“The percentage of vaccination is shamefully low and without raising it we will not be able to get out of this vicious circle (of the pandemic),” said the Austrian Chancellor.
In addition, like previous restrictions or general confinements against the pandemic in the past, they will be able to go for a walk near their homes.
The under 12 years and pregnant women will not be affected by this measure, as will students. It will be prohibited, under threat of complaint and fine, to go shopping in non-essential stores, to go to restaurants, bars, gyms and cultural and sporting events, among others.
High incidence among the unvaccinated
According to Schallenberg, the incidence of contagion among unvaccinated people is in Austria at about 1,700 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days, with a strong upward trend.
Meanwhile, the incidence among vaccinated people stands at 383 cases per 100,000 people, with a downward trend.
For this reason, Schallenberg pointed out, the Austrian government must protect unimmunized people by reducing social contacts between all sectors of the population.
To achieve tangible results, these contacts need to be reduced by 30 percent, said Austrian Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein, who also spoke of a “very serious” situation.
With information from EFE
