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UPDATE: Vienna and Lower Austria's hard lockdown extended until May 2nd

The Local Austria
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UPDATE: Vienna and Lower Austria's hard lockdown extended until May 2nd
A visitors walks past removed chairs at the 'Orient Accident' restaurant at Naschmarkt market in Vienna, Austria.(Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

The strict lockdown in the Austrian capital of Vienna and the state of Lower Austria will be extended until at least May 2nd.

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The decision was announced at a press conference on Monday, April 12th, due largely to the dire situation in the country’s intensive care wards. 

Unlike the other eastern states, Burgenland will not extend its lockdown beyond April 18th. 

Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig announced on Monday that the existing strict measures would remain in place for a further two weeks past the current April 18th expiration date. 

Austria’s coronavirus lockdown: Under what circumstances can I leave my apartment?

This includes the 24-hour stay-at-home order, a ban on close contact services (i.e. hairdressers and cosmetic services), strict border controls, working from home requirements and the closure of non-essential shops. 

FFP2 masks will now be required in all rooms where more than one person is present, other than in private homes. 

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Schools will continue ‘distance learning’ - i.e. home schooling - until at least April 25th. 

The next meeting of state authorities is scheduled for Friday, April 16th, although this may be brought forward, Austria's Kronen Zeitung newspaper reports

This is the third time the lockdown - which was originally put in place only to cover the Easter period - has been extended. It was initially imposed until April 7th, before being extended until April 11th, then April 18th. 

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Anonymous 2021/04/13 19:11
Of course...let's lock down again AND have our health minister resign. No lockdown will solve this. Unless there is a mass vaccination effort, which there is not (that little website thing is a hot mess...) we will continue to be in lockdown until Christmas! Figure it out! This place has a socialized medical system and you're telling me you can't get this done? And they can in Mississippi? Vienna is doomed...

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