No Weissensee for the unvaccinated? Austria threatens targeted lockdowns

No Weissensee for the unvaccinated: that scenario is suddenly real, now that Austria's agitated chancellor has had enough of the low vaccination rate. “We are in danger of stumbling into a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

A low vaccination rate, high intensive care occupancy

• Chancellor Alexander Georg Nicolas Schallenberg considers a threat necessary. Austria will impose lockdowns on the unvaccinated if intensive care occupancy rises.

Schallenberg is quoted by NOS: “The pandemic is not behind us yet.” In his view there are too many “refusers and doubters”.

The Dutch news organisation names the 220 corona patients in Austrian intensive care. That number looks set to rise quickly. In that case a ban on bars and restaurants for the unvaccinated may come first.

Meanwhile the Netherlands is more than 20% ahead on vaccination. The difference at the moment is 62 per cent in Austria against 83 per cent in the Netherlands, among over-18s.

No Weissensee for the unvaccinated: what happens if occupancy rises sharply

So the possible hospitality ban is the first step, but the next step has already been spelled out as well.

• The unvaccinated may only leave their homes in specific cases if occupancy rises sharply.

A Weissensee skating holiday in 2022

The possible lockdowns clash with the 3G principle of the European travel certificate, the corona passport. That covers Vaccinated, Recovered of Tested.

Thanks to that European principle you could always go on holiday last summer. Even unvaccinated, by testing. But now the ‘2G condition’ looms.

That puts extra pressure on unvaccinated travellers counting on a skating holiday on the Weissensee in 2022, in January or February. Who knows, by then they may not be welcome at all.

Travel advice around COVID-19

In our travel magazine we followed developments around the travel advice because of COVID-19. We are going to do so again now, in connection with the more infectious delta variant and new corona restrictions.

Follow the skating holiday travel blogs from dionvacation® so you do not miss anything about the Weissensee in 2022 and any exclusions for the unvaccinated.

Curious about skating the Weissensee? Read last year's much-read blogs about this experience not to be missed as well, and about why it is different every year.