Austrian Parliament Approves Mandatory Vaccine, Police Will Check Status, First Country In EU

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Austria’s parliament has approved a universal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for adults – the first of its kind in Europe.

The mandate will come into force next month, with authorities writing to every household to inform them of the new rules.

From mid-March, police will start checking people’s vaccination status during routine checks.

Those who cannot prove their vaccination status after being asked in writing to do so will be fined up to €600 (£498).

Pregnant women, people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, and those who have recovered from the virus in the past six months will be exempt.

Officials have said the measure is necessary as vaccination rates remain low.

As of Wednesday, 71.8% of the country’s 8.9 million population was considered fully vaccinated.