Austria Announces Mandatory Coronavirus Vaccination From February

The country has registered over one million COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with the death toll almost reaching 12,000.

Austria is introducing a national COVID-19 lockdown starting from Monday, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said on Friday, adding that vaccination will become mandatory for Austrians starting from 1 February.

"Starting Monday, a national lockdown will take effect for a maximum of 20 days. Every ten days an assessment will be made. It will automatically end no later than 13 December, from that day the lockdown will end for vaccinated and recovered patients", the chancellor told a press conference.

"We do not want a fifth wave", Schallenberg added, according to ORF.

"Despite months of persuasion, we have not succeeded in convincing enough people to get vaccinated", Schallenberg said, accusing those who refuse to get a jab of making an "attack on the health system".

A lockdown has already been in effect in the country since 15 November for those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. Nevertheless, the situation has continued to deteriorate - the daily incidence regularly breaks records, while intensive care units are on the verge of being overloaded with COVID-19 patients.