Austria becomes the first European country to announce Covid vaccine mandate

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Austria became the first European nation that would implement Covid vaccine mandate for all its eligible citizens. Meanwhile it also imposes a nationwide lockdown for 10-20days.Earlier Austria had announced a lockdown for its unvaccinated population.

Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said that “For a long time I and others assumed that it must be possible to convince people in Austria to get vaccinated. We therefore have reached a very difficult decision to introduce a nationwide vaccine mandate”

Austria has the maximum percentage of unvaccinated people as compared to the rest of the Europe. Less than 2/3rd Austrian population is vaccinated. On Thursday, the country recorded around 15000 new Covid cases in a day.

The rest of Europe is witnessing the same scenario. Germany is recording record Covid cases every day. The country has since the massive wave this time since the beginning of the pandemic.

Experts believe that vaccine resistance and the restrictions being eased out too soon has caused the sudden rise in the cases.

Austria is imposing stricter regulations as compared to other parts of Europe. This move has met with fresh protests by anti vaccine group and far right freedom party that call this dictatorship