(Bloomberg) -- Austria will suspend a lockdown for the unvaccinated during year-end holidays, giving respite from one of the toughest coronavirus policies in Europe.
Unvaccinated people will be allowed to meet in groups of up to 10 on three days around Christmas, as well as New Year's Eve, Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein told reporters Friday. Gatherings of between 10 and 25 will still only be permitted for the fully vaccinated or those who have recently recovered from the virus.
Polarized Austria Ends Lockdown as Vaccine Mandate Looms Large
The government is giving an exemption from tough restrictions for people not willing to take a vaccine. They are only allowed to leave home for work, essential shopping and exercise, though retailers and services have complained about the difficulties of enforcing the rules.
The steps, as well as a three-week lockdown for all that ended last week, have helped cut the rate of new infection by a quarter.
Restrictions on the unvaccinated and plans to make inoculations mandatory have prompted protests across the country, led by the far-right Freedom Party.
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