CNN
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Austrian leaders appealed for nationwide unity after a physician who confronted loss of life threats from anti-vaccination activists and coronavirus pandemic conspiracy theorists took her personal life.
“Let’s put an finish to this intimidation and concern mongering. Hate and intolerance don’t have any place in our Austria,” President Alexander Van der Bellen mentioned, hailing Lisa-Maria Kellermayr as a physician who stood for therapeutic folks, defending them from illness and taking a cautious method to the pandemic.
“However some folks have been enraged by this. And these folks scared her, threatened her, first on the web after which additionally in particular person, instantly in her apply.”
The physique of the physician – who had usually given media interviews about combating the coronavirus pandemic and selling vaccinations – was present in her workplace in Higher Austria on Friday.
Media cited prosecutors as saying that they had discovered a suicide be aware and weren’t planning an post-mortem.
Austria final month dropped plans to introduce obligatory COVID-19 vaccination for adults, saying it was unlikely that the measure would increase one among western Europe’s lowest vaccination charges.
Tens of 1000’s of individuals had marched in common protests in opposition to lockdowns final yr and plans to make vaccinations obligatory, highlighting a social divide over public well being measures that many nations have skilled.
However the physician’s loss of life – which the Austrian physicians’ affiliation mentioned mirrored a broader development of threats in opposition to medical employees – shocked the nation.
“Hatred in opposition to folks is inexcusable. This hatred should lastly cease,” Well being Minister Johannes Rauch mentioned.
