In devastating news for its own residents as well as tourists, Austria on Friday said it is imposing a three-week lockdown due to a COVID-19 surge in the country, the government announced.
"Given the current Coronavirus infection situation, the Austrian Government has announced a temporary nationwide lockdown for Austria. This lockdown, starting on Monday, 22 November, will be evaluated after 10 days, and is scheduled to end on 13 December at the latest," according to a statement. "Travel to Austria for touristic purposes will not be possible during this time. We will keep you informed about further details as soon as they become available."
It's not unsurprising. In August, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Level 3 "high risk" alert for Austria and, last month, elevated it to a Level 4 "avoid travel" alert.
Surprise or not, it's still a tough blow to the Austrian economy at a time when the country attracts a plethora of tourists looking to ski or soak in the history of Vienna or attend one of the many historic and beautiful Christmas markets.
But the virus has spiraled out of control. According to USA Today, Austria has reported 10,000 or more positive cases of the coronavirus each day over the last seven days, including a record 15,809 new infections on Friday, November 19.
"This is very painful," said Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said.
Hotels will shut down on Monday, November 22, and tourists are advised to leave Austria as soon as possible.
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