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Hiring alert: Austria seeks hunters of the unvaccinated 

WION Web Team
NEW DELHIUpdated: Dec 22, 2021, 03:04 PM IST
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A man walks past anti-vaccine graffiti. Photograph:(Reuters)

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Linz, which has a population of 200,000 people, is notable for having the lowest COVID vaccination rate in Austria.

Austria is the first European country to demand compulsory vaccinations for all citizens. Now, employees will be tasked with enforcing fines on those who refuse to acquire the COVID vaccine in the Austrian city of Linz.

The recruitment drive comes just weeks before the European country implements a broad vaccination mandate.

According to a job posting posted by the Austrian city of Linz, successful candidates will be issuing penalties, handling appeals, and taking action against people who fail to pay their fine for being unvaccinated.

According to the opening line, the job will suit those who "like working with legislation and administrative procedures."

Also read | 'Blame it on wife': Guests urged to be vaccinated at anti-vaxxer’s party

Employees will be paid monthly for their hard work, with salaries starting at €2,774 ($3,126).

To be considered for the position, applicants must be Austrian nationals, have completed secondary education, be resilient and willing to work overtime, be free of criminal records, and, last but not least, have a valid Covid vaccine or recovery certificate.

Furthermore, when competing for the position against males with equivalent qualifications, women will be given preference.

Linz, which has a population of 200,000 people, is notable for having the lowest COVID vaccination rate in Austria.

According to a website tracking the issuance of digital vaccination certificates in the country, only 63 percent of the city's population has gotten a complete dosage of the COVID vaccine so far. 

In November, Vienna became the first city in the world to enforce a rigorous statewide lockdown for the unvaccinated, only to have it expanded to include vaccinated citizens weeks later.

The curfew was lifted on December 12, but unvaccinated Austrians were still barred from going on non-essential outings. 

(With inputs from agencies)