Austria Enters Full Lockdown, ‘Don’t Meet Anyone,’ Says Kurz in ‘Urgent Request’
The Stadtpark, a major park in the center of Vienna
Bundeskanzler Sebastian Kurz announced on Saturday a full lockdown in Austria, saying that the Alpine nation’s partial lockdown failed to lower the infection rate.
Speaking at an afternoon news conference, the chancellor said that another surge of infections is threatening to overwhelm the country’s healthcare system. Hospital capacity, Kurz said, will be exhausted in a few days and healthcare workers would have to resort to triage. “A second lockdown is the only reliable measure that will work,” the chancellor said.
The new measures go into effect on Tuesday.
“My urgent request: don’t meet anyone!” Kurz tweeted. “Every social contact is one too many.”
Under the new rules, non-essential shops will be shuttered, and the current curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. will be expanded into an all-day requirement to stay at home. There will be specific exceptions such as shopping for essentials or exercise, Kurz said. People should work from home wherever possible, he added.
The lockdown will be in effect through December 6.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
