Snowstorm wreaks havoc on Austria virus testing programme

Austrian soldiers in protective gear during mass Covid-19 testing in Vienna (Ronald Zak/AP)

Several communities in the Austrian Alps have put mass coronavirus testing on hold and others were urged to do the same after a storm dumped huge amounts of snow, sending some avalanche warnings to their highest level.

Some areas of the province of Tyrol saw 70cm (27.5ins) of snow fall overnight Friday into Saturday, and another 110cm (43ins) were expected on Sunday, Austria’s APA news agency reported.