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WORLD NEWS Friday 21 January 2022
Austrian parliament approves universal vaccine mandate

VIENNA (AP) — Austria's report to the government
parliament has voted to and parliament every three
introduce a COVID-19 vac- months on vaccination
cine mandate for adults progress. The government
from Feb. 1, the first of its originally intended for the
kind in Europe. mandate to apply to all
Lawmakers voted 137 to residents 14 and over, but
33 Thursday evening to ap- changed that to 18 during
prove the mandate, which consultations with political
will apply to all residents of opponents and others.
Austria aged 18 and over. The Austrian government
Exempted from the man- announced the plan for
date are pregnant women, a universal vaccine man-
individuals who for medical date at the same time it
reasons can't be vaccinat- imposed a since-lifted lock-
ed, and people who have down in November and
recovered from a corona- amid concern that Austria's
virus infection in the past six vaccination rate was com-
months. paratively low for Western
Officials say the mandate is Europe. As of Wednesday,
necessary because vacci- 71.8% of the population of
nation rates remain too low 8.9 million was considered
in the small Alpine country. fully vaccinated.
Chancellor Karl Neham- The mandate drawn up by other opposition party, the country's vaccination "All experts believe that we
mer's governing coalition the government would ap- far-right Freedom Party, ve- progress still to be insuffi- will need high overall immu-
worked with two of the ply to all residents of Aus- hemently opposes it. cient, Nehammer says they nity in the population next
three opposition parties in tria age 18 and over, with The plan is for the vaccine would then send remind- fall as well," Health Minister
parliament on the plan to exemptions for pregnant mandate to become law ers to people who remain Wolfgang Mueckstein said
implement the mandate. It women, individuals who for at the beginning of Febru- unvaccinated. If that still Sunday. "With this vaccine
calls for the vaccine man- medical reasons can't be ary. To start with, authorities doesn't work, people would mandate, we will succeed
date to go into effect at vaccinated, and people will write to every house- be sent a vaccination ap- in achieving these impor-
the beginning of February, who have recovered from hold to inform them of the pointment and fined if they tant additional percent-
but enforcement will start in a coronavirus infection in new rules. don't keep it. Officials hope age points in the vaccina-
mid-March. the past six months. From mid-March, police they won't need to use the tion rate." Some other Euro-
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS It appears assured of ap- will start checking people's last measure. Fines could pean countries have intro-
UPDATE. AP's earlier story proval. Chancellor Karl vaccination status during reach 3,600 euros if people duced vaccine mandates
follows below. Nehammer's governing routine checks; people contest their punishment for specific professional or
VIENNA (AP) — Austria's coalition, made up of his who can't produce proof of and full proceedings are age groups. Neighboring
parliament is due to vote conservative Austrian Peo- vaccination will be asked in opened. Germany is considering a
Thursday on introducing a ple's Party and the Greens, writing to do so, and will be The mandate is supposed mandate for all, but it's not
COVID-19 vaccine man- worked with two of the fined up to 600 euros ($685) to remain in place until yet clear whether, when
date for adults, the first of three opposition parties in if they don't. the end of January 2024. and in what form that will
its kind in Europe. parliament on the plan. The If authorities judge the An expert commission will go ahead.q

First aid flights arrive in Tonga after big volcano eruption

By NICK PERRY Associated New Zealand and Australia The deliveries were immediate cleanup efforts. jarric said, pointing to three
Press each sent military transport dropped off without the Japan also said it is sending deaths, injuries, loss of
WELLINGTON, New Zealand planes that were carrying military personnel coming emergency relief, including homes and polluted water.
(AP) — The first flights car- water containers, kits for in contact with people at drinking water and equip- Communications with Ton-
rying fresh water and other temporary shelters, gener- the airport in Tonga. That's ment for cleaning away ga remain limited after Sat-
aid to Tonga finally arrived ators, hygiene supplies and because Tonga is desper- volcanic ash. Two C-130 urday's eruption and tsuna-
Thursday after the Pacific communications equip- ate to make sure foreign- Hercules aircraft left Thurs- mi appeared to have bro-
nation's main airport run- ment. The Australian plane ers don't bring in the coro- day evening, and a trans- ken the single fiber-optic
way was cleared of ash left also had a special sweeper navirus. It has not had any port vessel carrying two cable that connects Tonga
by a huge volcanic erup- to help keep the runway outbreaks of COVID-19 CH-47 Chinook helicopters with the rest of the world.
tion. clear. and has reported just a will depart as soon as it is That means most people
single case since the pan- ready, the Defense Ministry haven't been able to use
demic began. Rear Adm. said. the internet or make phone
James Gilmour, the com- Defense Minister Nobuo calls abroad, although
mander of New Zealand's Kishi told reporters that his some local phone networks
Joint Forces, said there had ministry "will do everything are still working.
been a "mammoth effort" we can for the disaster-hit One phone company, Digi-
by Tongan troops "to clear people of Tonga." cel, said Thursday it had
that runway by hand. And U.N. humanitarian officials managed to restore the
they've achieved that this report that about 84,000 ability to make internation-
afternoon." people more than 80% of al calls from some places
Australia said the assistance Tonga's population have by using a satellite link, but
would help Tonga's govern- been impacted by the that people would need to
ment meet the communi- volcano's eruption, U.N. be patient due to high de-
ty's needs and support the spokesman Stéphane Du- mand. q