Austria imposes national lockdown as Covid-19 crisis deepens

CNN

By Nadine Schmidt, CNN

Austria will impose a national lockdown on Monday as Covid-19 cases soar, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced Friday, becoming the first European country to do so this fall.

The government also announced plans to make vaccinations mandatory from February 1 next year.

The national lockdown starting Monday will last for 10 days minimum, and could be extended for a further 10 days, Schallenberg told reporters at a news conference in Vienna.

The move comes only days after Austria imposed lockdown measures for all those age 12 and older who are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Around 65% of Austria’s population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, one of the lower rates in the European Union where cases are surging.

This is a breaking story, more to follow…

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