Austria extends third COVID-19 lockdown to Feb 8

VIENNA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Austria will extend its COVID-19 lockdown, with the goal to start easing restrictions from Feb. 8, the government said on Sunday. The catering sector and tourism will not be able to reopen in February, it added.

Austria, a country of 8.9 million people, is in its third lockdown, with only essential shops open. The country has reported nearly 390,000 coronavirus cases and almost 7,000 COVID-19-linked deaths since the pandemic began last year. (Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Toby Chopra)