VIENNA. The two Austrian regions most affected by the new wave of covid 19 infections – Salzburg and Upper Austria – will impose a lockdown for the entire population starting from Monday. “We had no other alternative,” said the premier of the Salzburg regional government, Wilfried Haslauer, adding that he hoped to be able to lift the restrictions in time for Christmas.
A lockdown for those who are not vaccinated has already been in force throughout Austria since Monday. Any additional measures will be decided tomorrow at a meeting between the federal government and regional governments. In the two regions subject to general lockdown, only supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open. School lessons will take place remotely. You can only leave the house to go to work, for urgent or medical reasons, and for physical exercise outdoors. “We have to offer a perspective, this is our chance to reopen at Christmas,” Haslauer said, asking everyone to get vaccinated. In the last 24 hours, a record number of 15,145 infections have been recorded in Austria. Nationally, the seven-day incidence has risen to 989 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In the Salzburg region, the incidence is now at 1700 while in Upper Austria it has exceeded 1600 cases per 100 thousand. The two most affected regions have the lowest vaccination rates compared to the rest of the country.
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