Austria will go into a second national lockdown from Tuesday till the end of November to contain the spread of COVID-19, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced on Saturday. 

The Alpine country had a swift and effective lockdown during its first wave of infections in March but had held off the restrictive measures this month to help recover the economy, even as daily cases rose to several times the spring peak. 

The country reported 5,349 new infections within the past 24 hours, bringing its total number of cases to 104,925, according to data published by the Interior Ministry. 

As of Saturday morning, 1,109 people had died and 1,867 people hospitalized for coronavirus treatment, with 265 of them being in intensive care units. 

"You know we are seeing an intense second wave all over Europe," said Kurz at a press conference, adding that many neighboring countries are already in a second lockdown. 

With an almost "explosive increase" of new cases last week in Austria, there must be "hard measures," said the chancellor. 

Kurz emphasized that it is a matter of reducing contacts, as "most of the infections take place with people who know and like each other." 

Starting from Tuesday, leaving home is not permitted between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., except for such reasons as going to work. Kurz said that these restrictions are tantamount to a "visit ban" – people will no longer be allowed to be visited in the evening. 

Under the lockdown rules, theaters, museums and leisure facilities such as swimming pools or fitness clubs have to close, the catering industry is only allowed to offer pick-up and delivery services, and hotels are prohibited from accepting tourists. 

In the education sector, high schools and universities are switching to distance learning, while kindergartens and compulsory schools will remain open. 

This time, in contrast to the first lockdown, the retail sector escapes a closure, but social distancing must be properly implemented. A space of 10 square meters is required for each customer. In case of a smaller shop, only one person could be admitted. 

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, countries including France, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are racing to find a vaccine. 

According to the World Health Organization website, as of October 19, 198 COVID-19 candidate vaccines were being developed worldwide, with 44 of them in clinical trials.

(Cover: Man seen walking on a bridge in Salzburg, Austria, October 21, 2020. /Reuters)