Austria to Enter Fourth Lockdown in Bid to Halt Record Covid Surge

(Bloomberg) — Austrians will enter its fourth nationwide lockdown on Monday as a record spike in Covid cases threatens to overwhelm the country’s health care system, according to media reports. 

The government reached the decision overnight during a meeting with provincial leaders, the Austrian Press Agency reported. Details will be provided at a press conference scheduled for 10:15 a.m. local time. 

The move marks a fast reversal for Austria’s government, which on Monday imposed a lockdown limited to unvaccinated people.

But surging infections, which have surpassed more than 1,600 per 100,000 people in the worst-hit regions, are straining hospitals and laboratories.