Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced Friday that COVID-19 vaccination would be mandatory in the Alpine republic from February 2022. That makes Austria the first European country — and one of the first in the world — to impose compulsory coronavirus vaccination.

Although the age at which vaccinations are required has yet to be determined, the government said all those who refuse to get vaccinated are likely to face administrative fines and possibly even jail terms if they don't pay the fines. Austria will also enter a nationwide lockdown for a maximum of 20 days from next Monday.

The Czech government has approved plans to only allow those who are vaccinated or have recovered from the illness in the past six months into restaurants, events and other services from Monday.

In Slovakia, the government agreed to impose new restrictions on the unvaccinated, and urged people to register for vaccinations immediately to prevent a new wave of infections. The restriction order is similar to that in the Czech Republic, with only people who have been vaccinated or recovered in the past six months allowed to go to restaurants, or public events. The new restrictions will take effect from Monday.