Austria announced on November 5 that it will ban people who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 from going to restaurants, cafes, hairdressers, staying at hotels, participating in events with more than 25 people and using cable cars to reach tourist attractions.

The ban will be rolled out slowly in two phases.

Austrian people have drinks at a cafe in Vienna on May 19.

People going out to eat will have to prove they are fully vaccinated, but servers do not have to do this.

About 64% of the Austrian population has been vaccinated with a full course of Covid-19 vaccine, close to the European Union (EU) average of 65%, but this rate is among the lowest in Western Europe.

Austria reported 9,388 new infections in the past 24 hours, nearly equal to the record of 9,586 cases in November 2020.

In Germany, Austria’s neighbor, the Covid-19 situation is entering a `very difficult` phase as the number of patients needing special care is increasing, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on November 5.

Spahn said he agreed with state health leaders that everyone should be vaccinated again six months after the last shot.

The German Health Minister also called on citizens to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and comply with community isolation measures.

Thuringia Premier Bodo Ramelow warned that in just a few days the state will no longer have enough intensive care beds in hospitals.

Germany recorded more than 37,000 cases of infection on November 5, marking two consecutive days of record high numbers of infections since Covid-19 appeared in the country.

German medical staff injecting Covid-19 vaccine

The French government on November 3 announced a mandatory mask requirement for children going to school in 39 areas with high infection rates, expected to take effect next week.

French epidemiologists recently proposed expanding the scope of Covid-19 booster vaccination to new groups of people.

Prime Minister Jean Castex said the rate of new infections exceeded the alarming level of 50/100,000 people.

The Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) on November 3 recommended that people who receive Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine should be re-vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna products after 6 months.

Italy started booster vaccinations for vulnerable groups and people over 60 years old in September. More than 44.8 million Italians, equivalent to 83% of the population over 12 years old, have been vaccinated with a full course of Covid-19 vaccine.