Austrian lockdown for the unvaccinated goes into effect

BERLIN (AP) — A nationwide lockdown has gone into effect in Austria for unvaccinated people who haven’t recently had COVID-19, and officials have signaled that further measures may follow amid soaring infection rates. The move, which took effect at midnight, prohibits people 12 and older who haven’t been vaccinated or recently recovered from leaving their homes except for basic activities such as working, grocery shopping, going for a walk — or getting vaccinated. The lockdown, which is being imposed until Nov. 24, is believed to affect about 2 million people in the Alpine country of 8.9 million. Austria’s leader has described the country’s vaccination rate as “shamefully low.”