Thousands of Austrians took to streets on Saturday in protest against the planned coronavirus lockdown and mandatory vaccination. The protests went violent in several areas, which prompted the security forces to arrest a number of persons who attacked policemen. The Austrian security services deployed nearly 1,300 additional personnel to protect key government facilities and hospitals and blocked leading to demonstration sites. The protests took place one day after the authorities announced complete lockdown for 10 days as of next Monday in a bid to stem the outbreak of coronavirus with the restrictions affecting restaurants, cafes and marketplaces (COVID-19). The mandatory vaccination is to start in early February and anybody who fails to get the vaccine would be liable to fine. According to medical estimates, 5.8 million Austrians, or 65 percent of the population, got two doses of the vaccine. Meanwhile, Slovakia on Saturday declared 9,171 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, registering an unprecedented number since the outbreak of the pandemic. Health authorities said that 71 percent of the new cases were not vaccinated, noting that about 3,000 people were admitted to hospitals for treatment. Due to the growing infected numbers, Slovakia is considering imposing a full lockdown likewise its neighbor Austria, in addition to expanding vaccination campaigns to curb the spread of the COVID-19. — KUNA