The rule, which is expected to be approved by the Senate on February 3, will allow imposing fines of 600 to 3,600 euros for those not inoculated
The progressive expansion of the omicron variant does not give the international community a sigh, which is suffering the ravages of hospital pressure after a continuous rise in covid infections. The restrictive measures taken so far do not seem to have the desired effect, which is why governments have intensified their efforts in order to alleviate the health situation as much as possible. And the main objective is to achieve herd immunization. Austria has taken a new step and has become the first country in the European Union to impose compulsory vaccination on those over 18 years of age, which will affect some 7.4 of the 8.9 million inhabitants of the Central European country.
The Lower House of Parliament approved the regulation on Thursday by majority (137 votes in favor and 33 against), after a long debate of five hours, which will come into force at the beginning of next month if it is also approved by the Senate, where it is planned to give it the green light on February 3. The measure had the broad consensus of politicians, except for the extreme right represented by the Austrian Freedom Party, whose president, Herbert Kickl, warned that he will not submit to any dose.
The plan presented by the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, proposes to install controls on streets and highways by mid-March to check if citizens, who will receive a letter at home with a detailed explanation of the measure, are inoculated. After the adaptation period, fines will be imposed that could range from 600 to 3,600 euros, although they would be withdrawn if the individual receives the dose within two weeks – the law excludes detention in case of non-payment. However, exceptions will be made for pregnant women or those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Meanwhile, those who have tested positive and overcome the disease will have an extended period of six months. “This is not about a fight between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated,” but about the “common good,” about “preserving freedom,” Nehammer said.
The authorities estimate that 72% of the population is vaccinated, but in order to penetrate deeper into society, the Austrian government and the opposition agreed on an economic package valued at one billion euros to promote immunization. In this sense, it is contemplated to reward those regions with high vaccination rates and, at the individual level, raffle vouchers of 500 euros among all those who have received their dose. One of every ten punctures will have a prize and the money must be exchanged in shops, restaurants, hotels, culture and sports.
Certificate
Other steps have also been taken in France, where the Constitutional Council has validated the vaccination certificate, which will come into force on Monday, as a tool to fight the pandemic. From then on, adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 will be able to get the booster dose. It should be noted that in France, 91% of adults already have the full regimen, while 62% have received the third vaccine. With these figures on the rise, the French government announced the calendar for a progressive lifting of health restrictions for the month of February. For example, the mask will no longer be mandatory outdoors.
The covid continues to spread throughout Europe. Germany broke a new daily record this Friday with more than 140,000 infections in the last 24 hours. In just five days, the German country, which started the week with 34,000 positives, has quadrupled its cases. They also recorded another 170 deaths. The vaccination process, meanwhile, continues with 72% of the population immunized; some data that are close to the objective set of reaching 80% with at least one dose at the end of the month.
On the other hand, Poland confirms a maximum of daily infections for the third consecutive day after yesterday registering more than 36,660 cases, as well as 248 deaths. There are currently more than 21.5 million people on the full regimen, while more than nine million have received the booster dose.
Topics
European Union (EU), European Union, Germany, Austria, Europe, Poland, Health alert, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Delta (CoronaVirus variant SARS-CoV-2), Vaccines, Vaccines covid-19
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