Copenhagen, Feb. 1 (BNA): Denmark on Tuesday became one of the first countries in the European Union to lift most restrictions on the spread of epidemics, as the Scandinavian country no longer considers the outbreak of COVID-19 a “serious social disease”.
Officials said this is because although the omicron variant is high in Denmark, it does not place a heavy burden on the health system, and the country’s vaccination rate is high.
Denmark, a country of 5.8 million people, has in recent weeks seen an average of more than 50,000 daily cases while the number of people in hospital intensive care units has fallen, according to the Associated Press.
The head of the Danish health authority, Soren Prostrom, told Danish broadcaster TV2 that his concern was on the number of people in intensive care units, not the number of infections. That number, he said, “has gone down and down and is incredibly low.” He said 32 of the coronavirus patients are in intensive care units. Several weeks ago, it had risen to 80.
The most obvious limitation identified is the wearing of face masks, which are no longer mandatory in public transport, stores and customers standing in the restaurant’s interior. Authorities recommend mask use only in hospitals, health care facilities and nursing homes.
Health authorities have urged Danes to conduct regular checks to maintain epidemiological surveillance and, if necessary, “respond quickly if necessary,” Health Minister Magnus Heunick said last week.
The Danish government has warned that Denmark could see a spike in infections in the coming weeks and said a fourth vaccination may be necessary.
The restrictions were originally imposed in July but were removed about 10 weeks later after a successful vaccination campaign. It was reintroduced when infections rose.
In 2020, Denmark became one of the first European countries to close schools due to the pandemic and send all uncritical public officials home.
In neighboring Finland, COVID-19 restrictions will end this month as Prime Minister Sanna Marin said her Social Democrat-led government would negotiate with other parties in parliament the timetable for removing the measures.
On Monday, border controls ended at the internal borders between Finland and other Schengen countries that make up Europe’s identity-check-free travel zone.
This limitation was introduced at the end of December to slow the spread of the omicron variant. Travelers arriving from outside the European Union will continue to meet border controls at least until February 14.
On Tuesday, Norway’s Dagbladet newspaper reported the first-ever case of COVID-19 on the North Sea island of Utsera.
“We’ve avoided that for two years,” Mayor Mart Eddy Cloving told Dagbladet, adding that the island’s 188 residents have been vaccinated. It was not clear how the virus reached the island, which is located 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Bergen, Norway’s second largest city.
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