Austria and Germany return to harsh lockdowns

Written by Andy Rowlands on November 18, 2021. Posted in Current News

In the last few days, the media has been reporting Austria and Germany have reinstated draconian lockdowns, but this apparently only applies to the unvaxxed.

On November 15th, inews reported:

Unvaccinated people in Austria have been put into another lockdown as coronavirus cases continue to surge.

From Monday morning, around two million people will only be able to leave their homes for a limited number of reasons and will be subjected to police checks to make sure they are complying with the new rules.

But there are widespread doubts about whether this new lockdown, especially as it applies to a third of the population – can be properly enforced.

Austria is among the nation’s hardest-hit by Europe’s fourth wave of infections and its government hopes this new lockdown will counter a surge of cases to record levels.

Only 65 per cent of the population has been vaccinated, one of the lowest rates in western Europe.

In recent weeks, the country has faced a worrying trend in infections. The country reported 11,552 new cases on Sunday, while a week ago there were 8,554 new infections.

The seven-day infection rate stands at 775.5 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

In comparison, the rate is at 289 in neighbouring Germany, which has already sounded the alarm over rising numbers.

Austria’s conservative-led government says that for now, around two million people in the country of roughly nine million will be only allowed to leave their homes for a limited number of reasons.

Announcing the lockdown on Sunday, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg told reporters in Vienna: “It’s our job as the government of Austria to protect the people. Therefore we decided that starting Monday… there will be a lockdown for the unvaccinated.”

He called on people who have been vaccinated to get their booster shot, saying that otherwise “we will never get out of this vicious circle”.

“My aim is very clear: to get the unvaccinated to get vaccinated, not to lock up the unvaccinated.”

He said that while the seven-day infection rate for vaccinated people has been falling in recent days, the same rate is rising quickly for the unvaccinated.

“The rate for the unvaccinated is at over 1,700, while for the vaccinated it is at 383.”

Unvaccinated individuals will be banned from leaving their homes except for basic activities such as working, food shopping, going for a walk or getting vaccinated.

Police are conducting extra checks and interior minister Karl Nehammer said they would check the vaccination status of all members of the public they interact with.

The restrictions do not apply to children under 12 because they cannot yet officially get vaccinated, as the European Medicines Agency, which regulates approval within the European Union, has not yet given the go-ahead for vaccinations of children under the age of 12.

However, Austria media reported on Saturday young children can start getting coronavirus vaccinations next week as part of a pilot project which is limited to Vienna only.

The lockdown will initially last for 10 days and unvaccinated people could be fined up to £1,200 (1,450 euros) if they do not adhere to the restrictions.

Health minister Wolfgang Mückstein told ORF television that he wanted to discuss further measures and one proposal on the table is limits on going out at night that would also apply to the vaccinated.

Mr Schallenberg told Oe1 radio he did not rule out sharpening the rules, but did not expect restrictions on bars or similar venues at present. He said that further measures could include requiring full medical masks in more places, more working from home, and requiring vaccinated people to get tested before going to events.

Many Austrians are sceptical about vaccines, a view encouraged by the Freedom Party, the third-biggest in parliament, which is planning a protest against the government’s coronavirus policies on Saturday.

On Sunday, anti-vaccination demonstrators protested at the Ballhausplatz, outside the Chancellor’s official residence in Vienna, after the announcement about the new lockdown.

The inews article can be seen here: inews.co.uk

The following day, the Daily Mail reported Germany is considering new restrictions for their 14 million unvaccinated citizens after Vienna banned those without jabs from leaving their homes:

The country is battling a ferocious fourth wave of coronavirus and recorded 32,048 new infections on Tuesday, a rise of 47 per cent compared to a week ago, as well as another 265 deaths.

The incoming Social Democrat (SDP) government today warned that unvaccinated people will be barred from going to work and travelling on public transport. 

The new government will also recommend that everyone should work from home unless they have a ‘compelling business reason’.

‘This is actually a lockdown for the unvaccinated,‘ said Dirk Wiese, the deputy head of the SPD parliamentary group. Around 14 million Germans eligible to be vaccinated have not taken up the offer.

It comes a day after neighbouring Austria imposed a lockdown on some two million people unvaccinated against the new coronavirus on Monday.

Cops began carrying out routine checks to stop those who are not jabbed from leaving their homes in a move which has been slammed for ‘dividing the society in two’.

In Germany, The SDP along with its coalition partners will formally present their coronavirus proposals to the parliament for approval on Thursday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel remains in a caretaker role while the SDP thrashes out power sharing arrangements with the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP) to form a new government.

The vacuum created by a government in transition has sown confusion.

With only 67 per cent of the population fully jabbed, Germany is lagging behind most European counterparts such as the UK (68 per cent) France (69 per cent), Italy (72 per cent) and Spain (80 per cent).

In Saxony, those who refuse the vaccine could be limited to meeting just one person from outside their household and banned from non-essential travel by Friday.

Under existing measures, that rule will come into force automatically when more than 1,300 hospital beds in the region are filled by Covid patients for three days in a row.

It surpassed that capacity on Monday and the rule could come into force by the end of the week if the numbers do not drop.

Saxony and Bavaria are among a number of states that already demand proof of vaccination for entry into restaurants, bars and clubs. 

The Bavarian government is urging Berlin to impose the same rules across the country.

‘We have difficult weeks ahead of us,’ outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday.

‘With the number of cases we have at the moment, hospitals across the country will reach capacity in the first two weeks of December,’ Social Democrat health expert Karl Lauterbach said.

As such, access to public transport including ‘to school and taxis’ will be limited to people who have been vaccinated, recovered or tested negative, according to a draft text seen by AFP.

States will also be able to introduce new restrictions in public and private places, potentially including Germany’s cherished Christmas markets.

The incoming coalition parties have, however, ruled out a return to lockdown, deciding not to extend Germany’s official health emergency beyond November 25.

The Daily Mail article can be seen here: dailymail.co.uk

Bold emphasis added

Header image: The Guardian

Having these two countries effectively putting people under house arrest unless they are authorised to leave their homes by the state, and having to show papers when they do, reminds me of an earlier rather dark period in their history.

About the author: Andy Rowlands is a university graduate in space science and British Principia Scientific International researcher, writer and editor who co-edited the new climate science book, ‘The Sky Dragon Slayers: Victory Lap‘

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