World News for Students of English

10-02-2022 15:00

Austria is the first country in Europe to pass a law that will require most adults to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The mandate to get vaccinated for residents aged 18 and over is the first of its kind in Europe. On Thursday, the mandate cleared its last legislative hurdle. The government’s house approved it, and the President signed the law on Friday.

In mid-March, police will start to check people’s vaccination status during traffic stops and checks on coronavirus rules. People who can’t produce proof of vaccination will be asked in writing to do so, and they will get a fine of up to 600 euros. In the next part, officials will check the national vaccination database, and they will send reminders to unvaccinated people. They will give them dates to get vaccinated, and if they do not, they can get potential fines.

At present, 69% of the country’s population is fully vaccinated, and the government is preparing to ease some coronavirus rules.

Difficult words: mandate (an official order to do something), hurdle (a problem or difficulty that someone has to overcome), proof (a fact that shows that something exists or is true).

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