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Austria starts lockdown for people not vaccinated against Covid on Monday (15)

The Austrian government decided to impose a lockdown on people not vaccinated against the coronavirus from Monday (15) as winter approaches and infections increase in Europe, while Germany imposes stricter circulation limits and the United Kingdom expands the application of booster vaccine to include young adults.

In recent weeks, Europe has once again become the epicenter of the pandemic, prompting some countries to consider reintroducing restrictions in the run-up to Christmas and sparking debate over whether vaccines alone are enough to tame Covid- 19.

The arrival of winter in the northern hemisphere worries authorities, as the virus is more easily spread in the cold months, when people gather indoors.

Last week, Europe was responsible for more than half of the average infections worldwide and about half of the latest deaths, according to a count by Reuters. These are the highest levels since April of last year, when the virus was at its initial peak in Italy.

Governments and businesses fear that the protracted pandemic will hamper the still fragile economic recovery.

Austria’s conservative government has said that about two million people in the country, out of about nine million people, are now only allowed to leave their homes in some cases, such as commuting to work or shopping for essentials.

But there is widespread skepticism, including among conservatives and the police, about how the blockade can be enforced – it will be difficult to verify, for example, whether someone is going to work, what is allowed, or going shopping for non-essentials , what is not.

“My goal is very clear: to get the unvaccinated to be vaccinated, not to arrest the unvaccinated,” Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg told ORF radio as he explained the blockade, which was announced on Sunday.

The goal is to contain the outbreak of new infections, fueled by a total vaccination rate of only about 65% of the population, one of the lowest in Western Europe.

Infection Storm

Germany’s federal government and the leaders of the 16 German states are expected to discuss new measures this week.

Three German state health ministers have called on negotiating parties to form a new government to extend the states’ power to implement tougher measures, such as blocking or closing schools, as the seven-day Covid-19 incidence rate hits record levels.

Chancellor Angela Merkel urged unvaccinated people to reconsider their decision in a video message on Saturday.

“Tough weeks are ahead of us, and you can see I’m very worried,” Merkel said in her weekly video podcast. “I urge everyone who has not yet been vaccinated to reconsider.”

France, the Netherlands and many countries in Eastern Europe are also facing an outbreak of infections.

Britain is expected to extend booster doses of the vaccine to people aged 40 to 49, officials said on Monday, to boost declining immunity ahead of the coldest winter months.

Currently, all people over age 50, those who are clinically vulnerable, and front-line health professionals are eligible for boosters.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he sees no need to move to a “Plan B” mandate for masks and vaccine passports, although he is wary of rising infections in Europe.

“We’re sticking to Plan A,” he said in a Monday broadcast. “But what we certainly have to recognize is that there is a storm of infections in some parts of Europe. There is always the risk that a new wave will come in from the east as the months get colder. The best protection for our country is for everyone to step forward and receive your reinforcement.”

Reference: CNN Brasil

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