Austria Faces Hard Lockdown
Due to rapidly rising Covid-19 infection rates in Austria, the government will most likely implement a hard lockdown starting at the beginning of next week. The new restrictions might include the closing of schools and kindergartens as well as shutting down all stores that are not providing goods to cover basic needs.
Chancellor Kurz (right), Vice-Chancellor Kogler (left) and their team of ministers will be presenting new restrictions for Austria. / Picture: © Bundeskanzleramt (BKA) / Dragan Tatic
Austria is likely to be shut down completely next week.
The government will be informing the public about possible new measures tomorrow, November 14, 2020.
Although Chancellor Kurz and his team of ministers had only recently put in place new restrictions, Covid-19 infection rates have risen continuously over the recent weeks.
The fear of a collapsing health system would after all be the most important reason for the new edition of the lockdown, similar to the one the population faced in spring.
The new edition is likely to include a shutdown of stores of any kind, excluding grocery stores, pharmacies, and the like.
Furthermore, kindergartens, elementary schools and other schools for lower grade pupils will be running in an emergency mode, in which the parents are recommended to, if possible, leave their children at home.
The upper grade pupils and students have already been in distance learning for two weeks or longer, but now also the lower grades are likely to be switched to online teaching.
Further restrictions that will involve an expanded curfew, home office obligation, and other limitations of private life are possible and will be subject to discussions within the body of the ministers and experts.
According to reports, all of these restrictions are to stay that way for two to three weeks starting next week.
If the infection numbers sink as strongly as hoped for, the Christmas business could be saved.