Austria's Covid Response: Country-Wide Closure And Lockdown Measures

Austria has implemented various measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 since the first cases were reported in the country on February 25, 2020. These measures have included travel restrictions, social distancing, mandatory mask-wearing, random testing, and lockdowns. During the lockdowns, residents were only permitted to leave their homes for essential reasons, such as buying groceries or seeking medical care. All non-essential businesses, including retail shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, museums, and theatres, were closed. Austria's approach to managing the pandemic has evolved over time, with the government tightening and easing restrictions in response to changes in infection rates and the evolving scientific understanding of the virus.

Travel restrictions

March 2020

On 13 March 2020, the Austrian government announced that all universities would close their classes by 16 March. All outdoor events with more than 500 people and all indoor events with more than 100 people were cancelled. Children over 14 years old were ordered to stay at home starting 15 March, with younger children following on 17 March. This applied until 4 April. Travel restrictions for people coming from Italy were also established.

On 15 March, a ban was also announced for public gatherings of more than five people, and restaurants were ordered to close starting 17 March. Günther Platter, the governor of Tyrol, announced a one-week lockdown for the whole province. Residents in Tyrol were required to remain in their homes except for necessary reasons such as buying food or medicine, visiting the doctor, withdrawing cash, or walking a dog.

From 16 March until 20 April, people could only leave their homes for the following reasons:

• Necessary professional activities
• Necessary purchases (groceries or medication)
• Assisting other people
• Activities outside, alone or with people from the same household

On 17 March 2020, in addition to border checks, Austria banned all arrivals from Italy, China's Hubei Province, Iran, and South Korea, except for those who had a medical certificate no more than four days old that confirmed they were not affected by coronavirus.

November 2020

On 15 November 2020, Austrian government officials announced a nationwide lockdown beginning on 17 November and lasting until 6 December. All retail businesses, shopping centres, schools and offices closed, with exceptions for grocery stores, pharmacies, drugstores, post offices, banks, gas stations and 'Tabak/Trafik' convenience shops. Restaurants, bars, cafes, museums and theatres remained closed, having already shut as part of a partial lockdown from 2 November. Hotels were closed to tourists.

A 24-hour nationwide, stay-at-home curfew was imposed, with exceptions only for buying groceries or essential goods, travelling to/from work if working from home was not possible, providing care for another person, or exercising outdoors.

February 2021

From 8 February, the strict lockdown was lifted and retail shops, schools, service providers, museums, parks, zoos, etc. were allowed to open again with heavy protective measures, such as mandatory FFP2-mask wearing. Hairdressers and massage therapists were only allowed to serve customers with a negative COVID-19 test from a licensed medical testing site, taken no more than 48 hours previously.

Face masks

Austria has implemented various measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including travel restrictions, social distancing, and the use of face masks. Face masks have been a crucial part of the country's efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Here is a detailed overview of the face mask guidelines and their evolution in Austria:

Face Mask Guidelines in Austria:

• March 30, 2020 – The Austrian government announced plans to introduce compulsory face masks covering the mouth and nose. This initially applied to persons entering supermarkets from April 6, 2020.
• April 3, 2020 – The government extended the mandatory use of face masks to all public places, including public transportation and shops.
• April 2020 – With the stabilization of new cases, the government began easing lockdown restrictions. However, the use of face masks remained mandatory in public settings.
• July 24, 2020 – Face masks were made compulsory in shops and enclosed spaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• September 4, 2020 – Austria introduced the Corona traffic light system, with Vienna, Linz, Graz, and the Tyrolean district of Kufstein lighting up in yellow (medium risk).
• November 2020 – During the second wave, the use of face masks continued to be mandatory in public places.
• February 8, 2021 – After the strict third lockdown, Austria lifted restrictions, allowing retail shops, schools, service providers, museums, parks, and zoos to reopen with mandatory FFP2 mask-wearing.
• March 15, 2021 – The gastronomic and cultural sector in Vorarlberg reopened with strict conditions, including mandatory face masks.
• November 15, 2021 – A national lockdown was imposed on unvaccinated citizens, and they were required to wear masks when leaving their homes for essential reasons.
• November 19, 2021 – Austria announced a full national lockdown starting November 22, 2021, for 20 days. The use of FFP2 masks was mandatory in public spaces.

The Austrian government has adjusted its face mask guidelines based on the evolving situation and scientific understanding of the virus. These measures have played a crucial role in curbing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting public health.

Quarantine rules

As of 2 December 2020, the Austrian government has tightened its quarantine restrictions for anyone entering the country. The quarantine period has been extended to 10 days. Previously, anyone entering Austria could avoid quarantine by presenting a negative test result from a test taken within 72 hours of arrival. Now, anyone returning from a "high-risk" area will be required to quarantine for 10 days. After 5 days, they can take a free coronavirus test to leave quarantine early.

The Austrian government defines a "high-risk" country as any country with a 14-day incidence rate of more than 100 positive cases of coronavirus per 100,000 residents. As of 2 December 2020, all of Austria's neighbouring countries are over this threshold.

Cross-border commuters are exempt from the quarantine rules but must register with the authorities and show a negative PCR test result once a week.

Switzerland has lifted its COVID-19 border health measures. Travellers from EU member states and Schengen Associated countries are no longer required to submit contact data or provide proof of vaccination, recovery, or a negative test. However, health measures remain in place for travellers arriving from countries or areas of variant concern.

All travellers should consult the lists maintained by the Federal Office of Public Health and the State Secretariat for Migration to check their national status for entry.

As of 20 September 2021, travellers entering Switzerland who have not been vaccinated or have not recovered from COVID-19 will have to present a negative test result. They will then have to be tested again after 4 to 7 days. Additionally, all travellers entering Switzerland, regardless of their vaccination status, must complete the entry form (Passenger Locator Form, SwissPLF).

The test and entry form requirements do not apply to travellers in transit through Switzerland without stopping, drivers who transport people or goods professionally, and cross-border commuters or people entering from border areas.

Social contact

Austria has had various social contact rules in place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020

On 15 March 2020, a ban was announced on public gatherings of more than five people, and restaurants were ordered to close from 17 March. From 16 March until 20 April, people could only leave their homes for the following reasons:

• Necessary professional activities
• Necessary purchases (groceries or medication)
• Assisting other people
• Activities outside, alone or with people from the same household

On 13 October, an investigation into the outbreak in Ischgl in March concluded that the resort's facilities had been closed too late and that the departure of tourists had not been managed in an orderly manner.

From 1 April to 6 April, random tests were conducted on 2000 randomly selected candidates in regions affected by the virus; 1544 of the candidates were tested. Based on the study, the prevalence of the infection in the non-hospitalised population was recalculated, resulting in an estimate of around 0.33%. The results were announced on 10 April.

2021

On 21 December 2021, there were restrictions in place across Austria on events and private gatherings. For people without proof of 2G (full vaccination or recovery from Covid-19) aged over 12, a lockdown was still in place nationwide, meaning no in-person socialising was possible with people outside of their household.

2022

On 21 March 2022, with record numbers of new Covid cases, one in every 20 Austrians had the virus, and more than 31,000 new infections were registered in one day.

2023

From 1 July 2023, persons aged 12 or over must be able to demonstrate one of three statuses (tested, recovered, vaccinated) in order to gain entry to certain spaces. These include hotels and accommodation, leisure facilities, culture venues, events, trade and consumer shows, and congresses.

Random tests

On 30 March 2020, the Austrian government announced that it would be conducting random tests to obtain a more accurate picture of the spread of COVID-19 among health workers and the general Austrian population. From 1 April to 6 April, the SORA Institute conducted the random tests, contacting 2000 randomly selected candidates in regions affected by the virus; 1544 of the candidates were tested. The results, announced on 10 April, showed a prevalence of the infection in the non-hospitalized population of around 0.33%.

In addition to random testing, Austria's COVID-19 National Strategy included a comprehensive testing strategy based on three pillars:

• Tests initiated by a public authority for suspected cases and contact persons. People can call the corona hotline 1450 and staff decide whether a test is required. This happens either in special testing sites (without an appointment) or via mobile teams that carry out a test in the person's home. Alternatively, they can visit an ambulatory care provider, such as a GP, but a previous appointment is necessary.
• Specific screening programs for vulnerable groups, their carers, and professionals with elevated exposure to infection risk. In this pillar, mainly rapid antigen tests are used, but some pilot programs use RT qPCR gargling tests. Tests take place at testing sites or directly at the workplace, such as in a care home or hospital.
• Population-wide monitoring and screening with easy access to free testing for everyone at all times. The main objective is to detect asymptomatic persons early on and isolate them. This pillar includes entry tests for certain services or places, such as hairdressers or hospitals. Free testing is widely available in testing sites, enterprises, and pharmacies, and self-tests are also distributed.

On 17 November 2021, a second hard lockdown went into effect, with federal police stopping people in public places to check their vaccination status. Unvaccinated people breaching lockdown rules faced fines of up to 500 euros, and anyone refusing to comply with vaccination status checks could be fined 1,450 euros.

Frequently asked questions