Austria threatens to shut down non-vaccinators under new phased plan
Vienna, October 23 (BNA) Austria threatens a possible closure of non-vaccinators if the situation in the country’s intensive care units worsens, under new government plans, German news agency (dpa) reported.
“We are on the verge of falling into an unprotected epidemic,” Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said Friday night after a crisis meeting.
Schallenberg has ruled out shutting down those who have been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19. He said he hoped the plans would send a signal.
He said there were still many “undecided and procrastinators,” referring to those who had not planned to be vaccinated.
The situation in intensive care units is largely stable, despite the recent increase in the numbers of new infections.
Covid-19 patients currently occupy about 220 intensive care beds. If that number rises to 600, Austria will reach phase five of its plan, which requires massive restrictions on the movement of non-vaccinators.
Austria is currently in the first stage, so “we are looking very far into the future,” Health Minister Wolfgang Moekstein said.
The country’s seven-day infection rate is just under 230 new infections per 100,000 people.
Earlier in the week, it was announced that most employees in Austria will have to prove they have been vaccinated, tested negative for the virus or have recovered from Covid-19 from November 1.
The new phased plan now states that only PCR testing will be considered as evidence once 400 intensive care beds are filled.
About 62 percent of the eligible population in Austria has been fully vaccinated.
Momentum in the country’s vaccination campaign has stalled in recent weeks, with a few thousand doses given on some days.
The right-wing populist Freedom Party, one of the largest in the country, has been fueling skepticism about vaccines.
And last month, regional elections for Upper Austria’s state parliament gave a shocking result: the newly formed anti-vaccination party MFG (People, Freedom, Rights) scored 6 percent — breaking the 4 percent threshold to enter parliament in its first election. Attempt.
AOQ