Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced on Saturday that quarantine or housekeeping for those who had not been vaccinated against Covid-19 or had become ill would be imposed from Monday.
Of the approximately nine million Austrians, only 65% have been vaccinated, which is less than the European Union (EU) average of 67%.
Meanwhile, the number of new infections has reached a record high this week.
“The situation is serious (..). We do not do it with an easy heart, but unfortunately it is necessary,” Schallenberg told reporters.
People over the age of 12 who have not been vaccinated or have been ill with Covid-19 will only be allowed to leave their homes from Monday to buy basic necessities, exercise or receive medical treatment.
The unattended household meeting, the observance of which will be monitored by random inspections, will be valid for ten days. The situation will then be reassessed, Health Minister Wolfgang Mikstein said.
The unvaccinated parliament is also expected to be approved by parliament, where the Conservative-Green coalition, led by Schallenberg, has a majority. The vote is expected on Sunday.
However, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health have repeatedly called on unvaccinated citizens to be vaccinated.
At the same time, Vienna will be the first in the European Union (EU) to vaccinate children between the ages of five and 11 from Monday.
More than 5,000 children have been vaccinated since vaccination began on Saturday, according to the Austrian capital.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has not yet approved the use of any vaccine in this age group, although EU Member States have the power to decide for themselves in an emergency.
As early as last week, the Austrian government announced that only those who had been vaccinated or had access to the disease would be allowed to visit restaurants, hotels and cultural institutions.
The number of new infections in Austria exceeded 13,000 on Saturday, the highest since the start of the pandemic. To date, Covid-19 has claimed the lives of about 11,700 Austrians.
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