VIENNA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Austria rose to 182 as of Tuesday afternoon, with no deaths reported, according to health authorities.
Among the confirmed cases, Vienna reported 43 cases, Lower Austria 40, Tyrol 32, Upper Austria 22, Styria 17, Salzburg 12, Vorarlberg 11, Burgenland four, and Carinthia one case, according to the country's Health Ministry.
"The day will come when we will have to take further measures, and today is the day," said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz at a press briefing on Tuesday. He announced measures in three areas -- related to Italy, curbing spread and social contacts.
Austria is banning entry of anyone arriving from Italy without a health certificate, he said. Austrians in Italy will still be permitted to travel home if they agree on two weeks of home quarantine.
All courses at Austrian universities would be canceled for the time being, and the 380,000 or so students should now learn online, announced the chancellor.
As for the restrictions on events, Health Minister Rudolf Anschober explained that since Wednesday, outdoor events with over 500 participants and indoor events with over 100 participants will be canceled by decree until the beginning of April.
The epidemic has spread at a very rapid pace, said Anschober. "We have to change our lives for a few months."
Kurz called on the public to contribute to the fight against the coronavirus by reducing social life for a while. "The fewer social contacts there are, the better the hospitals are equipped," he said.
"There will also be measures at schools," said Kurz -- but first of all, it is important to prepare well for effects regarding the childcare obligations. Therefore discussions with the social partners have been started.
The time for the measures must be "exactly defined", according to Kurz. It is a matter of not taking steps "too early or too late", since measures would have to be kept up.
When asked what effects the measures will have on public transport, Kurz said that society must continue to function, and public transport must be able to transport people who do not have a car.
