All unvaccinated people over 12 years old should stay at home. This is the decision taken by Austria to stem the tide of covid-19 that is hitting the country. It applies from November 15 and concerns two million people. They will only have the right to leave their homes to do their shopping, practice a sport or receive medical care. This measure is a first in the European Union.
65% vaccinated in Austria, 75% in France
Unannounced checks “on an unprecedented scale” will be carried out in the public space, according to the Austrian government, which is preparing to deploy additional police patrols. Offenders risk a 500 euros fine.
In Austria, approximately 65% of the population has a complete vaccination schedule. A figure lower than the European average of 67% and far from countries like France which is close to 75%.
Partial containment in the Netherlands
More than 13,000 new cases were recorded on November 13 in this country of 9.8 million inhabitants, the highest since the start of the pandemic.
More broadly, it is the whole of Europe which is affected by a new epidemic wave. To respond to this, several countries have already implemented new restrictions, such as a partial re-containment in the Netherlands or a massive use of teleworking in Germany.
“All the hypotheses are on the table” in France
Is such targeted re-containment possible in France? For the time being, the government “does not want” a re-containment of French people not vaccinated against covid-19, even if “all the hypotheses are on the table”, indicated the leader of the LREM deputies Christophe Castaner invited to France 2 this November 15th. “We do not wish it, and we must do everything to prevent that we need to worsen the means of protection of the French,” he added. “The objective, and the method we have used, is that of vaccination and booster,” said Christophe Castaner. In France, according to the Covidtracker site, the number of detected cases of covid increased by 28% in the week of November 11 compared to the previous week.
Sources:
- Bundeskanzler Schallenberg: Bundesweiter Lockdown für Ungeimpfte (Chancellor Schallenberg: A national lockdown for people not vaccinated) – press conference of November 14, 2021.
- Vaccination against Covid in France: as of November 13, 2021, more than 101,179,000 injections have been carried out, Ministry of Solidarity and Health, November 13, 2021
- Speech by Christophe Castaner, guest of Télématin, The 4 truths, France 2, November 15, 2021.
- Covidtracker, figures from November 13, 2021
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