Austrian leader says lockdown for the unvaccinated is likely

BERLIN (AP) — Austria’s chancellor has stepped up threats of lockdown measures for unvaccinated people as new coronavirus cases in the Alpine country are soaring. The country’s worst-affected province said Thursday that it plans to take that step next week. Austria has taken a series of measures in recent weeks in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 and encourage more people to get vaccinated. On Monday, new rules took effect barring unvaccinated people who haven’t recovered from an infection from restaurants, hotels, hairdressing salons and large public events. Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said last month that unvaccinated people could face new lockdown restrictions if case numbers continue to rise. On Thursday, he said a lockdown for the unvaccinated is “probably unavoidable.”