Austria's daily growth of COVID-19 infections has decreased to a single digit percentage range from 40 percent three weeks ago as restrictions on people's movement and the closure of schools and shops took effect, the health ministry said. "We have to considerably strengthen and then stabilize the current trend, then we have a real chance," Health Minister Rudolf Anschober said, urging people to stay at home despite sunny and warm spring weather. Austria was one of the first European countries to put severe restrictions on movement and close shops and schools in response to the developments in neighboring Italy and a strong increase in coronavirus infections in its ski resorts.