In the event of a further deterioration in the pandemic situation, the Austrian government has announced that it will step up its pace towards people who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus. Gradually, they could be prevented from entering restaurants, cultural and leisure events (level four) and, in the event of a further tightening, even subject to exit restrictions (level five). The decisive factor here is the occupancy of intensive care beds in the country: level four applies from an occupancy of 25 percent of the intensive care capacity (500 beds), level five from 30 percent (600 beds). Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) currently expects level two (15 percent, 300 beds) to come into force soon.Then larger events as well as the night-time catering can only be entered by vaccinated or convalescent people.

Stephan Löwenstein

Political correspondent based in Vienna.

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The government accompanied these announcements with a warning appeal to people who do not want to be vaccinated without medical exception.

Federal Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) said he would "not allow the health system to be overloaded because we still have too many hesitants and procrastinators".

They must be aware that “there is a great responsibility on their shoulders”.

However, he assured that the new decisions would have no effect on vaccinated people.

Kickl's arguments were sharply rejected

The opposition in Vienna criticized the new measures that were communicated late on Friday evening after the federal government had consulted with the federal states. The social democratic SPÖ wants to rely on rewarding incentives to vaccinate, the liberal Neos propose to send vaccination appointments first to unvaccinated people, the right-wing FPÖ every restriction goes too far. The FPÖ chairman Herbert Kickl took up words with which he drew parallels to the tyranny of the National Socialists: People should be taken into “protective custody”, which reminds us of “the darkest chapters of our history”.

His admission was sharply rejected by the government.

The FPÖ and its chairman sabotaged the fight against the pandemic and endangered lives with their "anti-vaccination propaganda", said Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP).

"With Herbert Kickl I am no longer surprised," she continued.

Free availability of tests as a false signal?

As early as the summer, the government in Vienna had replaced incidence as a key criterion for protective measures by occupying intensive care beds. This was linked by announcements, namely by the recently resigned Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, that the pandemic was over for Austria. Most recently, more than 3,600 new infections were reported within 24 hours, the seven-day incidence is currently 255 per 100,000 inhabitants (Germany: 106). However, the incidence and the vaccination rate remain decisive criteria for the question of whether exit controls are required for individual districts. These measures have already been ordered for the districts of Melk and Scheibbs, in which the incidence is over 500 and the vaccination rate below 60 percent.

Austria has built up a very dense infrastructure of free tests.

For example, in Vienna in particular, PCR gargle tests can be picked up in certain drugstores and given after use.

Identification in such tests at home is carried out by scanning ID cards and gurgling in front of the camera.

The control should be carried out on a random basis.

The government therefore describes Austria as the “test world champion”.

However, the approach is not undisputed.

Critics attribute the vaccination rate, which is conversely very low (around 65 percent first vaccination), to the free availability of tests and the subliminal message that they are just as effective as vaccinations.