Virus Outbreak Austria Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz speaks during a press conference behind plexiglass shields at the federal chancellery in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. The Austrian government has moved to restrict freedom of movement for people, in an effort to slow the onset of the COVID-19 coronavirus. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)
VIENNA (AP) — Austria on Saturday announced a partial shutdown that will see restaurants and bars closed for four weeks, cultural, sports and leisure activities canceled, and residents asked to stay home after 8 p.m. as the government tries to stem a sharp rise in coronavirus infections.
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the restrictions will apply from Tuesday until the end of November. Restaurants and bars will be closed except for deliveries and takeout, and hotels closed to tourists. Companies affected by the shutdown will be compensated with 80% of their revenue from last November, but will have to keep on their employees.
The new restrictions include a curfew telling Austrians to stay at home between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., although they can go out for reasons that include exercising and going to work.
Kurz said the curfew is intended as a “ban on visits" and to prevent private parties that have driven infections. He called for people to work from home where possible. People from a maximum of two households will be allowed to meet.
The chancellor characterized the new restrictions as a “second lockdown,” but they are more lenient than the ones Austria applied during the first phase of the pandemic.
This time, non-essential shops and hairdressers are to stay open. The government also aims to keep schools and kindergartens open, though Kurz said older high school students and universities will be switched to distance learning.
Austria has reported 301.1 cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days. That compares with 110.9 in neighboring Germany, which is imposing a somewhat lighter four-week partial shutdown starting Monday.
The nation of 8.9 million people has reported more than 106,000 confirmed cases, including 1,097 deaths, since the pandemic began.
Kurz said there has been a “massive acceleration...almost an explosive rise” in infections over the last week and Austria's health system would be overburdened if the government doesn't act now.
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“I am well aware that many people...are thinking, ‘I don’t want to do this any more, I can't any more, I've had enough of all these restrictions,'” Kurz said at a news conference.
“I can only say that we completely understand them,” he said. “But if we don't take this step together now,...then we risk seeing the kind of conditions that other countries are currently seeing again.”
Kurz was cautious about when and how exactly the restrictions will be lifted, saying that much depends on how strongly the population supports them and how effective they are. He held out the prospect of a step-by-step reopening in December.
Devido ao aumento dos casos de Coronavirus, o governo austríaco decidiu implementar um segundo bloqueio de 3 de novembro até 30 de novembro. As medidas incluem:

Os hotéis estão fechados para viajantes de lazer / turistas; apenas viajantes a negócios podem permanecer em hotéis. Os visitantes que já estiverem hospedados em um hotel no momento da entrada em vigor das medidas poderão permanecer no hotel até a data de saída prevista.

Os restaurantes e bares só podem oferecer serviços de entrega / entrega, não é permitido jantar no local.

Eventos como concertos, peças de teatro, exposições, etc. são cancelados.

Museus, teatros, cinemas, academias, piscinas, zoológicos, parques de diversão e outras instalações culturais e de lazer devem fechar (exceção: bibliotecas).

Todos os resorts de esqui estão fechados ao público em geral durante o bloqueio. As inaugurações das áreas de esqui programadas para novembro foram adiadas para dezembro. As equipes profissionais de esqui ainda poderão treinar.

Os teleféricos estão fechados e os mercados de Natal não podem ocorrer até 30 de novembro.

As lojas podem permanecer abertas; deve haver pelo menos 10 metros quadrados (110 pés quadrados) de espaço por cliente. Os serviços pessoais, como cabeleireiro, também podem permanecer abertos. A partir de 11 de novembro, as lojas devem fechar às 19h. o mais tardar.

Até pelo menos 22 de novembro, o toque de recolher está em vigor das 20:00 as 6:00.