Austria shuts schools, most stores, to curb spread of virus Austria is tightening its partial lockdown, including by closing non-essential stores and shifting schools to online teaching, amid galloping coronavirus infection rates in the Alpine nationBERLIN -- Austria announced Saturday that it is tightening its partial lockdown, including by closing non-essential stores and shifting schools to online teaching, amid galloping coronavirus infection rates in the Alpine nation. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the measures had become necessary because Austria has seen 550 new cases of coronavirus per 100,000 inhabitants in the past week, a level 11 times greater than what authorities said would be sustainable. The partial lockdown is set to last until Dec. 6 . Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet senior officials Monday to discuss whether existing measures imposed for the month of November are sufficient. Police in the central city of Frankfurt used water cannons Saturday against both the participants of an anti-mask rally and counter-protesters.

Source: ABC News November 14, 2020 16:30 UTC