Austria will once again make it mandatory for people to wear face masks in supermarkets, banks and post offices, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced at a news conference on Tuesday.
"In the past weeks, we recorded an increase of new corona infections," Kurz tweeted after the briefing. He explained everyone should wear a mask "in order to protect vulnerable people."
During the briefing, Kurz emphasized how face masks can influence behavior, saying "the more they disappear from our everyday life, the more careless people become."
Since June 15, masks have not been mandatory in Austria apart from on public transport, in hospitals, pharmacies and hair salons. The measure making it mandatory for mask to be worn in supermarkets, banks and post offices will go into effect on July 24.
According to Austria’s Health Ministry coronavirus dashboard, 88 new Covid-19 cases were reported on July 20. On the same day in June, just 20 new cases were reported.
The country’s total Covid-19 death toll stands at 710, with a total of 19,827 recorded cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Austria — seen as a success story in Europe — went into lockdown in mid-March and lifted many of its measures at the end of April. Kurz said on April 19 that the coronavirus outbreak in Austria was "under control." He credited the positive development as a result of the government's early implementation of strict containment measures.
"We were one of the first countries in Europe which decided to have a complete lockdown, and I think it was extremely important that we were faster than others and our reaction was tougher than in other countries," Kurz told CNN's Fareed Zakaria.
"It was good that we did it because now the situation in Austria is under control. We only have about 100 new infections every day," he added.
Austria also removed its coronavirus border controls on June 16, with some exemptions.