Austria set to ease COVID-19 restrictions in May

Austria has decided to progressively lift its lockdown on May 1, almost seven weeks after the restrictions were put in place to deal with the coronavirus crisis, the health minister said on Tuesday.

The strict lockdown will be lifted at midnight April 30, Rudolf Anschober said at a press conference held here on Tuesday. 

It will be replaced by new rules: going out is generally allowed again, but it is still important to keep a minimum distance of one meter from each other, he said.

Since mid-March, Austrians have only been allowed to leave their house if with good reasons, including doing essential errands. However, outdoor exercise — walking and cycling, for example — has not been restricted.

According to Anschober, the decrease in the number of infections justifies the government’s move. For the first time, the effective reproduction number is now 0.59, said the minister.