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Austria experienced this Monday the reopening of its stores and leisure spaces, such as theaters and museums, but only for vaccinated people after the most recent general confinement that lasted 20 days.
Meanwhile, non-vaccinated people are still not allowed to leave their homes for non-essential shopping and leisure activities. The Austrian government plans to approve this January — together with two opposition parties — the law regulating the compulsory COVID-19 vaccines. The law would slap those who refuse to get vaccinated with fines higher than $4,000.
Austria is the first country in the European Union (EU) to implement mandatory vaccines for the entire population, excluding pregnant women and children under 14 years.
The reopening does not apply across the board across the country. Some federal states restrictions remain in place. For example in Upper Austria, the confinement continues until Friday.
Also in Vienna, the state with the lowest rates of infection, the Socially-democrat regional government has opted to keep restaurants closed until next Sunday.
The same applies to the traditional Christmas markets in the Austrian capital, where tourist souvenirs and Christmas gifts are once again on sale, but nothing can be consumed until next Sunday.
All cultural and sporting events, whether outdoors or indoors, are restricted to vaccinated or recovered persons, in some cases even with the obligation to wear an FFP2 mask and to present negative PCR tests.
In this way, Austria continues to impose authoritarian health mandates on its inhabitants who have taken to the streets to reject the measures.
