Austria will go into third lockdown after Christmas, ending with tests
By Francois Murphy
VIENNA (Reuters) -Austria will go into its third coronavirus lockdown after Christmas and lift it earlier for people who get tested, the government said on Friday, just 11 days after its second lockdown ended.
Non-essential shops reopened last week after a nearly three-week-long lockdown that brought daily infections below 3,000 from a peak of more than 9,000. A nighttime curfew is in place.
Larger gatherings of up to 10 people from 10 different households will be allowed over Christmas, however, and that is sure to accelerate infections again.
“The prognosis for all of Europe is a very, very dramatic one and we are now already seeing exploding infection numbers in many other countries,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a news conference.