Austria will impose fines on those without COVID-19 vaccinations from mid-March after a transition phase that starts in February, said Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
People unwilling to get inoculated will face penalties of as much as 3,600 euros ($4,108), the Austrian leader told reporters on Sunday. The mandate will apply to all adults living in the country except when a medical exemption is granted.
Austria’s policy is being closely watched as a model for similar ambitions in other European Union countries. Italy has imposed a vaccine mandate on people age 50 or over, Greece will start fining seniors who don’t get their shots, and French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to make life difficult for the unvaccinated.
In the first phase of Austria’s policy, the unvaccinated will get written notification. Starting in mid-March, police and other officials will start checking vaccine status, imposing fines, and ordering vaccine appointments if necessary. Continued dissent will prompt another 600 euro fine after a month.