Covid-19: Germany not ruling out lockdown, even for vaccinated people

Germany's coronavirus situation is so grave that a lockdown, including people who have been vaccinated, cannot be ruled out, the health minister said on Friday, as Austria said it would go back into full lockdown from Monday.

"We are now in a situation - even if this produces a news alert - where we can't rule anything out," acting health minister Jens Spahn told a news conference.

Markets reeled on the prospect of a possible German lockdown, with bond yields turning negative, and the euro and stock markets falling sharply.

Austria will become the first country in western Europe to reimpose a full lockdown this autumn to tackle a new wave of infections, and will require its whole population to be vaccinated as of February.

Spahn also said the health ministry was in talks with Pfizer and other companies to order medicines to treat Covid-19.