Coronavirus cases in Austria surpass 1,000

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection in Austria climbed to 1,018 on Monday, with three deaths reported, according to local health authorities.

Most cases of infection were reported in the western state of Tyrol bordering Italy, with the number rising to 294 from 254 on the previous day.

The government has imposed exit restrictions all over the country as part of a series of drastic measures to contain the outbreak.

People are urged to stay at home as much as possible.

They can only leave home to work, buy groceries or help others. In addition, walks are permitted provided that they are alone or in a family — that is, with people who live in the same household.

In terms of shopping or working, people must keep a distance of at least one meter from each other. The police are tasked with controlling the new regulations, and non-compliance will result in serious administrative penalties.

Playgrounds and sports fields are closed.

All restaurants would also be closed starting from Tuesday.

Moreover, Austria will largely stop air traffic, announced Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Sunday evening on Austrian television.

He appealed to all Austrians currently staying abroad to return home or to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be brought home.

People who had served in the medical field at the Red Cross and in nursing homes in the past five years would be called back into service to help deal with potential bottlenecks in the health care sector, said Kurz.

Austria is implementing much tougher measures than other European countries, hoping the contagion curve will flatten out in the coming weeks, according to the chancellor.

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Source: Xinhua