As it goes back into lockdown, Austria plans to mandate COVID-19 vaccine

Facing a surge in COVID-19, Austria will institute a nationwide lockdown beginning Monday. It will last for a minimum of 10 days.

Starting Feb 1, Austria plans on mandating the COVID-19 vaccine nationwide, according to CNN. Approximately 66% of the country is fully vaccinated.

Those who don’t comply with the mandate could face fines, The Associated Press reports.

“We don’t want a fifth wave. We don’t want a sixth and seventh wave. We don’t want to have this discussion next summer,” Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said, according to CNN.

The country reported more than 15,000 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, which is an all-time high for Austria.

CNN reports that Austria is the first country this fall to implement a lockdown.

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