The Austrian government said in a statement on Monday that Austria warned not to travel unnecessarily to its mountain province, Tyrol, because of the outbreak of the so-called South African coronavirus variant. 

The federal government’s travel warnings are as follows: Unnecessarily travel to Tyrol. Everyone who was in Tyrol in the last two weeks is urged to get tested. All people travelling from Tyrol to another province are urged to have a Covid-19 test immediately before departure. 

The statement quoted Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz as saying: “The government warns against going to Tyrol to prevent the spread of this South African variant. The government urges all citizens to limit travel to Tyrol to an absolute necessity.” 

Health Minister Rudi Anschober added: “The new viral mutations pose a major challenge for us, so we need to take far-reaching measures. Our common goal is to ensure the health of the people and prevent the further spread of the virus. We must all contribute to this now. We are constantly reviewing the situation. -Other measures may be taken at any time.”