Austria to begin easing coronavirus restrictions on Feb. 5

FILE PHOTO: People walk along a shopping street after the fourth full national coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown lifted, in Vienna, Austria, December 13, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

ZURICH (Reuters) - Austria will begin easing COVID-19 related restrictions next week, Chancellor Karl Nehammer told a news conference on Saturday, as the Omicron variant leads to reduced hospitalisations despite high infection numbers.

From Feb. 5, Austria will extend the opening hours of restaurants and shops until midnight, Nehammer said, while it will increase the number of people able to participate in events to 50 people from 25.

From Feb. 12, it will eliminate so-called "2G rules" for shops barring those who are not vaccinated against or recovered from the virus.

It will ease measures barring the unvaccinated from restaurants from Feb. 19, Nehammer said, saying those with a negative coronavirus test result will be able to visit restaurants and tourist attractions.

(Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; editing by Jason Neely)