Amelia Cutting
Just days after Austria imposed a lockdown for those who are unvaccinated, it has announced a full national lockdown from Monday (22nd).
This is the first full lockdown imposed by a European Union country this winter, with latest figures showing that the incidence rate has risen to 1,049.9 cases per 100,000 people in the past week.
Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said the lockdown would last a maximum of 20 days, and from February 1 2022 there would be a legal requirement to get vaccinated.
“From this day, Austria is a dictatorship”
What are the lockdown rules?
Under lockdown measures, Austrians will work from home and all non-essential shops will close. Schools and nurseries, however, will stay open, but mask-wearing will be mandatory in classrooms and pupils can choose to study from home.
Some exemptions apply for:
- Children under the age of 12, who cannot be vaccinated.
- Teenagers taking part in Covid-19 testing programmed at school.
It is expected to last until 12 December, but could be re-evaluated after ten days if the situation has improved. It is to be enforced by the police, and anyone found breaking the rules face a fine of 1,450 euros (£1,220).
Further, lockdown rules would end for those who are vaccinated from 12 December, but stay in place for those who decline the jab.
Mandatory Vaccinations
They are also the first European country to make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory, with exemptions only for those who are unable to receive the jab for medical reasons.
Those who refuse the vaccination could be faced with administrative fines, which can be converted into a prison sentence.
Speaking of this decision, Schallenberg said:
“For a long time, the consensus in this country was that we don’t want a vaccine mandate. In spite of months of persuasion, we have not managed to convince enough people to be vaccinated.”
Austria has the lowest vaccination rate in western Europe- only 66% of its population is fully vaccinated.
This planned general vaccine mandate has drawn heavy criticism from the opposition in parliament:
“From this day, Austria is a dictatorship”, the far-right Freedom party member Herbert Kickl said.
Anti-Lockdown and Vaccination Protests
On Saturday (20th), tens of thousands of people in Vienna protested against the lockdown announcement, and plans for mandatory vaccinations.
According to police, crowds had risen in front of the former imperial palace. The demonstration was planned by the far right Freedom Party- isolating after contracting Covid, he appeared in a video in which he denounced the government’s “totalitarian” measures “that believes it should think and decide for us.”
Among those protesting in Vienna were members of far-right and extreme-right parties and groups, including the far-right Freedom Party, the anti-vaccine MFG party and the extreme-right Identitarians.
Will Britain Follow Suit?
Public health experts in the UK have dismissed a lockdown for those who are unvaccinated, calling it coercive and unenforceable.
Professor Stephen Reicher of Sage’s subcommittee said this strategy would “create a pool of people who are alienated and anti-authority through that form of compulsion” but added that: “at least Austrians are asking what to do about [their] incredibly high levels of infection and in Britain, we are just wishing it away.”
David Matthews, a Professor of Virology at the University of Bristol also said: “I totally understand why Austria is doing what it is doing, I’m just not convinced that’s the most effective way forward for us.”
Instead of following an Austria-style lockdown, Professor Matthews says he would prefer to see a “more concerted campaign” in the UK to get the last 10 per cent of people vaccinated.
Featured image courtesy of Anna Shvets via Pexels. Image licence can be found here. No changes or alterations were made to this image.
Amelia Cutting
I'm Amelia- a graduate from the University of Leeds and current NCTJ Level 5 Diploma student!
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