Austria extends lockdown as strain spreads

Austria has extended its third COVID-19 lockdown into February, hoping to drive down infection rates amid an influx of variants that spread the coronavirus more easily.

The news comes a day after thousands of protesters marched in Vienna against the nation's restrictions.

The goal is to let shops, museums and personal services like hairdressers reopen from February 8, while the catering and tourism sectors will stay shuttered until at least March.

Ski lifts remain open, while schools will resume in-person instruction after the semester break next month.

"We have two to three hard months ahead of us," Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a news conference on Sunday, flanked by regional leaders and health officials in a show of unity a day after the protest in Vienna.

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 7000 COVID-19-linked deaths since the pandemic began last year.

Kurz left open the prospect of extending the lockdown if case numbers remain stubbornly high.

"At a time of a pandemic there are no guarantees," he said.

The government said people should work from home where possible, doubled to two metres the distance people must stay away from others, and instructed the population to wear masks in stores and on public transport from January 25.

Finance Minister Gernot Bluemel said companies hit by the restrictions could get extra state aid covering up to 30 per cent of lost revenue, capped at 60,000 euros ($A94,089) per month.

The government had already paid out 2.4 billion euros in aid to 129,000 companies. In total, Austria had paid or set aside more than 31 billion euros to help companies and preserve jobs, he said.