Why Austria is set to ease lockdown: Austrian reporter tells Nigel Farage

8 April 2020, 19:53

Why Austria is set to ease lockdown

This reporter explained to Nigel Farage why Austria are set to ease lockdown rules having had under 300 deaths related to coronavirus.

Austria Broadcast Corporation's Ines Hergowitz told Nigel that shops less than 400 square metres can open after Easter.

Larger shops and hairdressers can open at the beginning of May and restaurants, hotels and schools are set to open in the middle of May.

All events in Austria, both cultural and sport, have been postponed until the end of June.

At the time the number of Austrian deaths related to coronavirus was 243 and has since risen to 273 - this is in population of nearly nine million.

Compulsory regulations have been introduced to ensure face masks are worn in public.

The police are enforcing the lockdown rules by scrutinising the streets and as soon as there are over five people together, the officers hand out sanctions.

"There are very high fines if you don't comply with the regulation," Ms Hergowitz said.

Nigel surmised that Austria have had a very tough lockdown and had fewer deaths per capita than other European countries; he asked whether there are fears lockdown relief leading to a second wave of the pandemic.

She agreed there is that risk: "The pressure of shops and companies was too big to leave it like it was."

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