Austria reimposes Covid lockdown from Monday, plans to make vaccines compulsory

Austrian chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced national Covid-19 lockdown from Monday to tackle the fresh wave of infections.

Austria will become the first country in western Europe to reimpose a full coronavirus lockdown this autumn to tackle a new wave of infections, and will require its whole population to get vaccinated as of February, the government said on Friday.

Roughly two-thirds of Austria's population is fully vaccinated, one of the lowest rates in western Europe. Much of the public is sceptical about vaccines, a view encouraged by the far-right Freedom Party, the third biggest in parliament. It is planning a protest against coronavirus restrictions on Saturday.