Coronavirus infections have once again broken records in nations across Europe, prompting new curbs on movement and making health experts think again about booster vaccination shots.

Slovakia, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Hungary all reported new highs in daily infections as winter grips Europe and people gather indoors in the run-up to Christmas, providing a perfect breeding ground for COVID-19.

Slovakia's government followed the example of neighboring Austria on Wednesday and ordered a two-week lockdown to quell the world's fastest rise in COVID-19 cases as the number of people in hospital reached a critical level in a nation where vaccination levels remain low.

Poland has said it will have to tighten restrictions if it does not see daily case numbers decreasing in the near future, and the Netherlands will announce new measures on Friday.

France is also expected to announce new containment measures but said it did not plan a new lockdown like some other European Union countries.

Meanwhile, Denmark's government has proposed reintroducing mandatory face mask usage on public transport, in shops and in the healthcare sector.