Austrian lawmakers pass Europe's strictest Covid-19 vaccine mandate
CNN
Austrian Parliament voted for European Union's strictest Covid-19 vaccine mandate on Thursday, making it compulsory for Austrian residents over the age of 18 to get the shot.
The law goes into effect February 1. However, Austrian officials will only begin conducting checks to see if the mandate is being adhered to from March 15. Starting then, those without a vaccine certificate or an exemption could be slapped with initial fines of 600 euro ($680).
Pregnant people and those who cannot be vaccinated without endangering their health are exempt from the law, according to the Austrian Health Ministry's website. People who are recovering from a Covid-19 infection are also exempt for 180 days from the date they received their first positive PCR Covid-19 test.
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