The Latest: Austria resort town grapples with virus outbreak

The Latest: Austria resort town grapples with virus outbreak

SeattlePI.com

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BERLIN — A popular resort town in Austria has ordered restaurants and clubs to close early and urged people to avoid going out as it grapples with a new outbreak of the coronavirus.

The dpa news agency reported Sunday that hundreds of people have already been tested in the town of St. Wolfgang, east of Salzburg, after the outbreak was first detected Friday. At least 44 of those have tested positive, at least 26 whom are interns working in the tourism industry, Austria’s Kurier newspaper reported.

They’re thought to have become infected while partying in the town’s bars, two of which have now been temporarily closed to prevent further spread. All have been ordered to close no later than 11 p.m. until further notice, the Kurier reported.

Austria had relaxed many coronavirus restrictions in recent weeks, but has seen a rise in the number of infections lately.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz last week announced that the country was reintroducing mandatory face masks again in supermarkets, smaller grocery stores, post offices and banks.

In an unrelated outbreak across the border, a large farm in the German state of Bavaria has been put under quarantine after 174 farmhands tested positive. Authorities say the outbreak in Mamming is not believed to have spread outside the farm.

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