On Monday, Austria became the first country in western Europe to return to lockdown since vaccines have rolled out. A new wave of COVID-19 cases has spread rapidly across Europe and many countries are considering enforcing vaccine mandates or reinstating lockdowns.
“We are in a highly dramatic situation. What is in place now is not sufficient”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Austria will be shutting down all non essential businesses including bars, cafes, and theatres for at least ten days in an attempt to alleviate some of the stress put on hospitals as cases rise. Austria was nearing 15,000 cases per day but the shutdown is primarily meant to provide relief to nurses and doctors. Alexander Schellenberg, Austria’s interim Chancellor, has also pledged to mandate vaccinations nationwide starting February 1. Violators of this mandate could face a fine of close to $4,000. These controversial decisions have sparked protests and widespread controversy in Austria and beyond. On Saturday, tens of thousands of protesters marched through Vienna in response to the lockdowns that take effect on Monday.
Many of the protesters were members of right wing parties and groups including the far-right freedom party and the anti-vaccination MFG party. Austria still has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Europe at only about 66% but anti-vaccine advocates are not the only ones who believe the government mishandled the pandemic. In fact, a slight majority of Austrians would prefer the government mandate vaccinations. People that have been vaccinated complain that they are being punished even though they have been fully immunized. The lockdown also makes it hard for many small businesses that make the majority of their money during the Christmas season. Government support of such businesses provides enough to get by but not nearly as much as they would make without restrictions.
Similar circumstances are appearing throughout Europe as recent protests have escalated in France, Italy, and Germany. Other European countries may implement a similar mandate as Austria because of the resurgence of COVID-19 in Europe.
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