Austria has announced a full national lockdown, effective from Monday.

Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said the lockdown would run for at least 10 days and for a ‘maximum of 20 days’, as the country reports a surge in COVID cases.

The country has also become the first in Europe to make COVID vaccines mandatory, with the Chancellor saying it would be a requirement to get vaccinated from 1 February 2022.

He announced it would be a ‘requirement to get vaccinated’ from 1 February.

The regions of Salzburg and Upper Austria – the two resorts with the highest number of cases – had already announced a lockdown starting next week.

Restaurants, bars, hotels and non-essential shops across the country will now all have to close.

The rise in cases has caused concern among ski resorts, most of which are shut at the moment but had been hoping to open within weeks.

Yesterday, ski news site PlanetSKI reported: “Ski resorts are watching with increasing concerns as it will disrupt the start of the ski season for some and many fear lockdown could be extended across the country.”

Austria saw 956 confirmed COVID cases per 100,000 people on Thursday 18 November, compared to 716 a week ago and 594 10 days ago.

In Upper Austria and Salzburg the rate is more than 1,500 cases per 100,000.