Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen says he’s “sorry” for breaking pandemic-related guidelines by staying at a restaurant previous curfew.
The chief got here underneath hearth after he was noticed at an Italian restaurant in Vienna after midnight Saturday — regardless of eateries being required to shut at 11 p.m. as a part of measures to ease lockdowns, BBC reported.
“I’m sincerely sorry. It was a mistake,” Van der Bellen wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
He claimed he was unaware on the time that he had lingered on the restaurant previous closing time.
“I went out for the primary time because the lockdown with two associates and my spouse,” he wrote. “We then misplaced observe of the time whereas chatting.”
The restaurant might be fined for staying open, however the president mentioned he would “take duty” for any losses suffered, the report mentioned.
“We closed after a final spherical of drinks on time at [11 p.m.], as required by legislation,” the proprietor advised German newspaper Krone, in accordance with the BBC.
Austria was among the many first nations in Europe to announce in April that it was easing restrictions to restart the financial system.
Austria has seen greater than 16,000 confirmed coronavirus circumstances, together with 641 deaths, in accordance with the newest figures from Johns Hopkins College.
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