Covid rules spark protests in Vienna

Spiralling Covid-19 infections in Europe, stretching intensive care units to their limits in some regions, and pushing up the death toll, are forcing governments to implement tough preventative measures such as lockdowns.

​​8.9 million people in Austria are facing a partial lockdown, prohibiting people from leaving their homes except for work, shopping for essential items and exercise. The government made an announcement declaring Covid-19 vaccination obligatory as of 1st February 2022. This has resulted in tens of thousands demonstrating in Vienna.

There are similar scenes in the streets of the Netherlands, Croatia and Belgium. Not only have lockdown restrictions been reinstated, but vaccine passes have now become a requirement for entry to venues. This is set against the backdrop of a 50 percent spike in new Covid infections in the space of a week in Germany and a 67 percent rise in Covid related deaths in Norway.

Hans Kluge, the regional head of the World Health Organisation, pointed to the low vaccine uptake and the predominance of the Delta strain in Europe as the factors responsible for the upsurge. He warns that without the implementation of stringent measures such as wearing face masks, having vaccines and requiring vaccine passes, Europe is at risk of losing another half a million people to Covid-19, by the spring of 2022. View Less