While the infection is increasing elsewhere in Europe, the situation is different in Denmark. The numbers there are stable, and the country is looking forward to reopening when everyone over 50 is vaccinated.
With few exceptions, Danish society will be completely reopened when all residents over the age of 50 have been vaccinated, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) stated on Monday after the parties in the Danish parliament (Folketing) agreed on a reopening plan.
The agreement emphasizes that the vaccination of everyone over the age of 50 is an important threshold and “milestone.”
“The risk of death and congestion in the health care system as a result of the coronavirus will fall sharply, and society can be reopened. However, there will still be restrictions on events with a risk of super-spread, including larger events and nightlife, travel restrictions, and general infection prevention measures “, the text of the agreement states, newspaper Politiken reports.
Reopening through the spring
“There are still some prerequisites that must be in place, such as keeping the infection rate down and using corona passports,” Frederiksen said.
The reopening will take place gradually, but the leader of the Danish Conservative Party, Søren Pape Poulsen, says that it is expected that most restrictions will be eased in May, provided that the vaccination pace is maintained.
“Denmark is now looking into reopening, while other countries in Europe are looking at lockdowns,” Poulsen said.
Standing out
Norway, Germany, and France are among the countries in Europe that are reporting high infection rates and new and extended restrictions.
But in Denmark, the numbers of newly infected and hospitalized people are stable. In recent weeks, between 400 and 700 new corona cases have been registered daily, while the number of corona-infected patients in Danish hospitals has fallen from 400 in early February to less than 200 on Monday.
The development is a sign that the British mutated virus variant, B117, has been kept in check, Henrik Ullum, director of the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), noted.
“This is a good development, because it means that so far we have succeeded in stagnating the effect of the more infectious B117 variant,” Ullum wrote on Twitter.
He pointed to, among other things, high testing activity, extensive infection tracking, and good handling of local outbreaks as important reasons why the infection is under control in Denmark.
In addition, Denmark is a vaccination leader. Every tenth person in Denmark has now received at least one dose of the corona vaccine. 5.4% of the population is also fully vaccinated, which is one of the highest proportions in Europe.
Less strict measures after Easter
Thus, Danes can look forward to a spring characterized by fewer and fewer measures and restrictions. Already right after Easter, on April 6, professional groups such as hairdressers, physiotherapists, masseurs, and tattooists will once again be able to receive customers.
However, there will be a requirement that visitors can show a so-called corona passport, which confirms vaccination, that they have tested negative for corona in the last three days, or that they have been infected before. A face mask or visor will still be required.
From April 13, smaller shopping centers will also be able to reopen their doors, while larger shopping centers and department stores will have to wait until April 21 to reopen.
Gradual reopening of schools
The schools will also open up more after the Easter holidays. The parties agree that pupils in 5th to 8th grade at Zealand, Jutland, and Funen should be allowed to come to school more often.
The same applies to upper secondary school students who are not graduating students.
Cafes, restaurants, theaters, and cinemas will still have to be closed until May 6.
Two weeks later, on May 21, the last restrictions on sports and leisure activities will be lifted.
The reopening agreement is supported by a broad majority in the Danish parliament. Only Nye Borgerlige is outside the agreement. The party withdrew from the negotiations last Tuesday.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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