BERLIN: Austria will end its lockdown for unvaccinated residents next Monday – a day before a COVID-19 vaccine mandate takes effect in the country, the government announced on Wednesday, according to Austrian news agency APA.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehmer and Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein said the measure, which was introduced in November, was no longer needed because there was no risk of overstretching the hospital’s intensive care units, the APA reported.
Nehamer said, for weeks, the lockdown without vaccinations was “a measure many people complained about, but it was unavoidable for health policy reasons.”
On February 1, a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for adults – the first of its kind in Europe – will go into effect in the small alpine country. Officials have said the mandate is necessary as the vaccination rate is very low. He says it will ensure Austria’s hospitals are not overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. So far 75.4% of the country’s residents have been fully immunized.
Once the mandate is in effect, officials will write to every household to notify them of the new rules.
From mid-March the police will start checking the vaccination status of people during routine check-ups; Those who cannot present proof of vaccination will be asked to do so in writing, and will be fined up to 600 euros ($676) if they do not.
If officials consider the country’s vaccination progress still inadequate, Nehamer said earlier this month, they will send reminders to those who remain without vaccinations. If that also doesn’t work, people will be sent a vaccination appointment and fined if they don’t keep it. Officials hope they won’t need to use a last resort. Fines could reach up to 3,600 euros if people protest their sentence and the entire proceedings are opened.
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