Austria goes into second hard lockdown
Homa Lezgee
Press TV, Vienna
Austria officially enters into its second hard lockdown as new infections continue to rise exponentially. The government says it plans to carry out mass tests in December in an attempt to save Christmas and reopen schools.
Austria goes into its second “hard lockdown” with all shops, hotels, bars, restaurants and schools for older children closed until December 6th.
The curfew that was in place for the past weeks during the night will now be extended through the day.
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced that Austria will conduct mass testing in December, using neighboring Slovakia as its model in an attempt to save Christmas and guarantee the safe reopening of schools.
Austrian Health Minister Rudolf Anschober has appealed to the people to use the “Stop Corona App” developed by the Austrian Red Cross to help identify chains of infection and break them.
Through this app, users create what’s known as digital handshakes. When a user is infected they can activate an alert message and people who were in contact with the infected person will be notified automatically.
The government has come under criticism for weak contact tracing. The opposition says mass testing would only make sense if it can be repeated regularly.
Vaccination will be the game changer, says Sebastian Kurz and he’s suggested it can begin gradually in the first quarter of 2021, with health workers and vulnerable groups getting it first. For now, people are being warned, every contact is one too many.
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