Austria announces nighttime curfew as health system reaches unsustainable level

Austria on Saturday announced a nighttime curfew and the closure of restaurants to all but take-away service as coronavirus infections approach what the government says is an unsustainable level for its hospital system.

The restrictions including a curfew from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. will apply as of Tuesday, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a news conference, adding that shops would remain open.

Austria’s daily tally of new coronavirus cases stood at 5,349, data from the government showed on Saturday, as it prepares to announce new measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who has said hospitals would be stretched beyond capacity at around 6,000 daily infections, has said an economically damaging second lockdown would be a last resort, but Austrian media reported tough measures were in the works.

Daily cases hit a record of 5,627 on Friday,

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