Austria orders local lockdown as coronavirus cases rise
The town of Kuchl in the Hallein district of Salzburg is being put under lockdown this week in a bid to control the spread of Covid-19.
With a few exceptions, such as for deliveries and essential workers, entry into and exit from the municipality will no longer be allowed from Saturday October 17th until November 1st, said Salzburg's head of state Wilfried Haslauer on Thursday.
The town, which lies on the border of Bavaria in Germany, has about 6,600 residents.
It has recorded the highest number of new infections per 100,000 people in the last seven days in Austria, with around 841 infections.
"The situation is getting completely out of hand," said Haslauer who belongs to the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP).
He described developments in the state as dramatic, warning that capacity in clinics could reach their limits in less than two weeks. If that happens, a more severe lockdown would probably be unavoidable, he said.
In Austria, the number of registered new infections rose to a record 1,552 cases within a day on Thursday.
According to the Interior Ministry, 480 new cases were registered in Vienna alone. Compared to Germany, the figures – taking into account the number of residents – are about twice as high.
READ ALSO: Austria records highest daily total of new coronavirus infections
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With a few exceptions, such as for deliveries and essential workers, entry into and exit from the municipality will no longer be allowed from Saturday October 17th until November 1st, said Salzburg's head of state Wilfried Haslauer on Thursday.
The town, which lies on the border of Bavaria in Germany, has about 6,600 residents.
It has recorded the highest number of new infections per 100,000 people in the last seven days in Austria, with around 841 infections.
"The situation is getting completely out of hand," said Haslauer who belongs to the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP).
He described developments in the state as dramatic, warning that capacity in clinics could reach their limits in less than two weeks. If that happens, a more severe lockdown would probably be unavoidable, he said.
In Austria, the number of registered new infections rose to a record 1,552 cases within a day on Thursday.
According to the Interior Ministry, 480 new cases were registered in Vienna alone. Compared to Germany, the figures – taking into account the number of residents – are about twice as high.
READ ALSO: Austria records highest daily total of new coronavirus infections
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