Restrictions have been imposed in the country in the past, but these restrictions mainly affected the unvaccinated. Now, however, vaccines are not exempt from these measures either. According to Currier, the new provisions were also supported by the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and the Green Party. According to the applicable regulations:

• make mask-wearing ubiquitous in indoor communal settings;
• entry into force of the curfew;
• workplaces should function, where possible, in a home office;
• On the other hand, schools and kindergartens will remain open, but masks will also be mandatory in institutions. However, parents do not have to send their children to school, and teachers must ensure that students do not miss home schooling.

The restrictions have been in place for ten days and can be extended for another ten days after the results are evaluated, with the restrictions lifted by December 12 at the latest. The chancellor justified the need for restrictions by saying that the number of cases and contacts should be reduced so that families could celebrate Christmas together.

In the meantime, there is a need to deal with the epidemic in the long term, so in addition to the above-mentioned regulations, a provision has been made to start drafting a law that would make vaccination mandatory for everyone nationwide from February 1.

Alexander Schallenberg put it this way: It has been emphasized on several occasions in recent weeks that everyone needs to be vaccinated, but this has not been enough. He added that in the past, many would have ruled out making vaccination compulsory, but now it is necessary to “face reality”, and the necessity of this must be recognized. The chancellor also argued in favor of making vaccination mandatory that earlier, prior to 1981, smallpox vaccination was also mandatory for everyone.

Alexander Schallenberg began, I have always emphasized that our goal is not to close the vaccine, but to vaccinate the unvaccinated. “But we must admit that despite our best efforts, this was not possible,” he added. Many have not yet been vaccinated due to various political forces and fake news. For this reason, we suggest that vaccination be mandatory for everyone from February 2022.

The chancellor stressed that the vaccine is a long-term solution, but a short-term measure is also needed in the current situation, so it was decided to close the country.

It hurts a lot because otherwise enough vaccine is available. However, many showed strong resistance. Reduce the number of personal contacts for at least 20 days to celebrate Christmas with your family

Schallenberg added.

Health Minister Wolfgang Mokstein began his speech with an apology, saying “the lockdown is unreasonable, but there have been mistakes in recent weeks that politicians now need to correct”. The minister added that attendance education continues where needed, but children can stay at home without a medical certificate. Wearing masks will be mandatory for everyone in school buildings, and schools will provide care and learning packages for students.

(via Sky NewsAnd Delivery man)

(Cover Photo: Lizzie Nessner/Reuters)