People line up to get vaccinated in Vienna, Austria, Nov. 15, 2021. Austria will start from Monday to impose a lockdown on those who have not been vaccinated, the Austrian government announced on Sunday. (Xinhua/Guo Chen)
VIENNA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Austria will start from Monday to impose a lockdown on those who have not been vaccinated, the Austrian government announced on Sunday.
"We have decided with a heavy heart to take this step," Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said after a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
According to Schallenberg, unvaccinated individuals above the age of 12 will be prohibited from leaving their homes except for basic activities such as working, shopping or doing exercises, while those under 12 will not be affected.
The lockdown, currently limited to 10 days, is expected to affect 2 million Austrians in the country of 8.9 million people, and the police have been asked to check people outside to make sure they are vaccinated, Schallenberg said.
"Now we have to do everything we can to raise the embarrassingly low vaccination rate. With the vaccination rate we have now, we will never get out of the vicious circle," Schallenberg said.
In Austria, 65 percent of citizens are currently fully vaccinated, and such a vaccination rate is among the lowest in Western European countries.
Austria recorded 11,552 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, following the record high on Saturday when 13,152 new cases were reported. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, over 11,700 people have died in Austria as a result. Enditem
A woman shops at the Christmas market in Vienna, Austria, Nov. 15, 2021. Austria will start from Monday to impose a lockdown on those who have not been vaccinated, the Austrian government announced on Sunday. (Xinhua/Guo Chen)
A staff member checks people entering the Christmas market to make sure they are vaccinated in Vienna, Austria, Nov. 15, 2021. Austria will start from Monday to impose a lockdown on those who have not been vaccinated, the Austrian government announced on Sunday. (Xinhua/Guo Chen)
