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Austria Keeps Lockdown in Most of Country, Scraps Easing Plan

Police check people who want to leave Wiener Neustadt, Austria, on March 13. — Police check people who want to leave Wiener Neustadt, Austria, on March 13.
Photographer: Ronald Zak/AP Photo

By

Jonathan Tirone

March 22, 2021, 5:58 PM UTC

Austria canceled plans to further re-open the economy around Easter after surging Covid cases threatened to overwhelm hospitals, especially in Vienna and the surrounding regions in the east of the country.

“We will have to live with the virus for the next few months,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Monday after meeting with health experts and regional governors. While he promised all Austrians who want to be vaccinated at least a first shot before summer, he said a steady rise in transmissions meant outdoor dining and other activities can’t commence as planned.