Sebastian Kurz

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will participate today in a working meeting with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and the Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic - Andrey Babiš, of Latvia - Arturs Krishyannis Karinsch, of Slovenia - Yanez Jansha and of Croatia - Andrey Plenkovic, the government press service announced.

Brussels/Vienna – Five EU prime ministers, including Slovenia’s Janez Janša, have addressed a letter to Brussels calling for a summit on Covid-19 vaccines. The call comes after Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz strongly criticised the distribution of vaccines among EU member states, saying some EU countries were receiving more vaccines than others.

Vienna – A law providing an EUR 4 million donation to the Austrian province of Carinthia as promised by the federal government on the centenary of the Carinthian plebiscite last year was also published in the Slovenian language on Monday in what is the first such instance in Austria’s second republic. Slovenia has welcomed the step.

Austria, Greece and Denmark will jointly pressure the European Medicines Agency to approve AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Monday, adding: "Every week counts."

The Austrian government decided that it would keep hotels and restaurants closed until January 6, effectively banning visits by foreign tourists during the year-end holiday season.

Austrians - either locals or day-trippers - will still be able to ski, but without foreigners there will be significantly fewer people hitting the country's slopes.

All 950,000 households in Vienna will receive vouchers to help restaurants and cafes get back on their feet after a two-month coronavirus lockdown, mayor Michael Ludwig has announced.

The city will give 50 euros ($A84) to every home where several people live together, and 25 euros for single households.

Thousands of stores will reopen in Austria, which will become one of the first European countries today to ease the restrictions imposed by the new coronavirus, Reuters reported.

However, the Austrian government warned the citizens of the country that the danger had not yet passed.

Austria will begin to ease the strict measures to curb coronavirus infection after Easter, DPA reported.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a news conference that small retail outlets, building materials and gardening stores would be allowed to reopen on April 14th if they comply with strict hygiene standards.

Messages of support and offers of help have poured into Croatia after Sunday's earthquake of at least 5.3 magnitudes, which hit the capital and injured dozens of people as well as damaging buildings.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is to meet on Wednesday with the country's regional governors in a bid to move forward with his government's plan to set up new reception centers for migrants on the mainland and relieve pressure on overcrowded camps on the Aegean islands.