Austria heads back into lockdown on Tuesday

The return of restrictive measures was announced on Saturday, amid a surge of infections

On Saturday, 31 October, the Austrian government, headed by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced that the country will be heading into a 2^nd national lockdown amid a surge of COVID-19 infections. The announcement made by authorities laid out the new restrictions and also touched upon the continuation and reestablishment of economic support schemes that are meant to keep the economy going as people are forced back into their homes.

New measures and new aid for businesses

Explaining the necessity for a new lockdown, Sebastian Kurz stated that "We are currently experiencing a massive second wave across Europe with rising numbers of infections and dramatic developments. Many European countries are now in the second lockdown. In Austria, too, we have seen steady growth in the number of infections in recent months and exponential growth in the past few weeks We experienced a massive acceleration in the past week in particular."

The list of new measures that are set to come into force next week are as follows:

• Starting Tuesday morning, a curfew will be in place between 8 PM and 6 AM until 30 November
• Going outside during the curfew is permissible in a very strict set of circumstances, such as essential work travel, emergencies or care responsibilities
• Visits to other people’s homes is banned but going outside for walks in private is still allowed
• Gastronomy establishments will have to close down and will be allowed to operate only in takeaway mode
• Cultural venues will also be shut down, while events will be delayed or scrapped (including the country’s Christmas markets that fall under the category of “events”)
• High schools and universities go into distance learning mode, while normal schools and kindergartens will continue operating as usual
• Unlike during the last lockdown, shops will remain open
• All workers who can work from home are urged to do so.

When it comes to supportive measures, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced that businesses which are severely impacted by the new measures and which will have to close down will be compensated for 80% of their revenues from the previous year in exchange for not firing their employees but keeping them on.

Furthermore, the government will continue its short-time work scheme (Kurzarbeit) which should help both citizens and companies keep going during the next few weeks.