Austria’s government is meeting this Sunday, Nov. 14 to vote on whether or not to implement more restrictive lockdown measures, for the unvaccinated only, with two Austrian provinces, Upper Austria and Salzburg, saying they will be introducing new measures on Monday no matter the outcome of the weekend vote.
It’s widely believed that the Austrian government will vote to implement new lockdown measures amidst surging COVID-19 infections that authorities are saying are threatening to destabilize the country’s health care system.
Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg, told a room full of reporters that, “The aim is very clear: that we give the green light this Sunday for a nationwide lockdown for the unvaccinated,” adding that, “The development is such that I do not think it is sensible to wait … We will take this step now and my wish is that we take this step on Sunday and nationally for all nine provinces.”
Currently Austria has implemented a vaccine passport system where only those who are vaccinated can attend restaurants, pubs, gyms, hotels and other public places.
Restrictions on gatherings have been implemented as well. Proof of vaccination or a recent recovery from COVID-19 is required to enter events with 25 or more people.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
The new measures being considered will force the unvaccinated out of the majority of public life. It’s not clear when the new measures will be implemented but they will require the unvaccinated to remain home, isolated, permitting them to venture out in public only for essential activities like food shopping, exercise and to obtain medical care.
Schallenberg said on Thursday, according to The Guardian: “I don’t see why two-thirds should lose their freedom because one-third is dithering.”
Authorities are blaming the country’s low vaccine uptake for the introduction of the new draconian measures which effectively implements a two-tiered society. “Roughly 65 percent of Austria’s population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, one of the lowest rates in western Europe,” Reuters reported.
Austria’s deliberations come as a growing number of voices assert that relying on vaccination alone will not deliver the globe out of the pandemic.
Robert Clancy, Emeritus Professor of Pathology at the University of Newcastle and a member of the Australian Academy of Science’s COVID-19 Expert Database, observed that “studies across 68 countries confirm increases in COVID-19 infections are unrelated to levels of vaccination.”
Dr. Paul Elias Alexander, writing for The Defender states, “Evidence shows vaccinated persons are indeed susceptible to infection, and as alarmingly, carry as high a viral load as the unvaccinated. Moreover, vaccinated persons are likely to spread the virus to other members of their household.”
Dr. Robert Malone, a pioneer of mRNA technology and a vocal opponent against coercive vaccine mandates, recently tweeted a study from Yale indicating that there was “no significant difference in viral load between vaccinated and unvaccinated” people.
The BBC reported in July 2021 that, “no single measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus is 100% effective, and that includes vaccines.”
According to worldometers.com Austria has recorded a total of 934,948 COVID-19 cases and 11,641 deaths since the pandemic emerged in late 2019.
