Kovid in Denmark: Denmark is set to become the first EU country to lift domestic restrictions.
Copenhagen:
Denmark will lift almost all COVID restrictions from next Tuesday despite record infections, the government said, which Omicron’s version relies on a high vaccination rate to cope with.
“We are saying goodbye to restrictions and welcome to life as we knew it before Corona,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Denmark is set to become the first EU country to lift domestic restrictions, despite an Omicron wave, according to an AFP bureau survey.
The successful vaccine program proved to be a “super-weapon,” Fredrickson said. “It has given us a solid defense against infection which is continuing.
“Therefore the government decided that the coronavirus should no longer be considered a dangerous disease for the society.”
That means the removal of all home restrictions, including the use of vaccine passes, the wearing of masks, and the early closure of bars and restaurants.
However Denmark intends to put in place some further border measures, including testing and/or quarantine, for up to four weeks, depending on the immunity status of the travelers.
The Scandinavian country lifted all restrictions on September 10, before resuming the use of a COVID pass in early November and later introducing new ones as cases spiked again.
In neighboring Sweden, officials announced that existing restrictions would remain in place for at least two weeks.
However, Health Minister Lena Hallengren said “most restrictions” could be lifted on February 9 if “the situation has stabilized.”
Facing lower levels of hospitalization than in previous waves, several European countries, including France, Ireland and the United Kingdom, have announced lifting or significantly reducing their restrictions, despite a record or very high number of cases.
In England, the only legal ban that will come into effect from Thursday will be for people who test positive to isolate.
In Denmark, health officials “recommend” people who test positive to isolate for four days.
epidemic may soon peak
The country of 5.8 million reported 46,000 new cases on Tuesday, a very high level, “but our current assessment is that the pandemic will peak soon”.
“We have good control over hospitalization rates, thanks to a combination of 3.5 million Danes re-vaccinated and Omicron’s less severe nature.”
A month ahead of health officials’ schedules, more than 60 percent of Danes have received a third dose.
In the past week, the weakest people have got the fourth jaw.
While the number of people hospitalized with Covid continues to rise and has now risen to over 900, health officials said the situation was under control.
In early January, the number of hospitalizations increased by 16 percent, even as cases climbed 35 percent.
In addition, the number of people in intensive care has dropped from 74 in early January to 44 on Wednesday.
The Danish health authority said that 35 percent of people hospitalized with Covid actually went to the hospital for a different diagnosis.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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