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After 548 days of restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19, Denmark’s high vaccination rate has enabled the Scandinavian country to become one of the first countries in the European Union to lift all national restrictions.
The return to normal has been gradual, but as of Friday, the digital pass – proof of having been vaccinated – is no longer required to enter nightclubs, making it the latest virus protection to drop .
Over 80% of people over 12 have had both injections.
“I wouldn’t say it’s too early. We opened the door but we also said we could close it if necessary, ”Soeren Riis Paludan, professor of virology at Aarhus University in Denmark’s second largest city, told The Associated Press.
At midnight, the Danish government no longer considers COVID-19 to be “a socially critical disease”. Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said on August 27 that “the epidemic is under control” but warned “we are not out of the epidemic” and the government will act if necessary if necessary.
Jens Lundgren, professor of viral diseases at Copenhagen University Hospital, said the government would be “very willing” to reintroduce restrictions if infections rose again. He said nightclubs were the last thing to open because “it is the activity associated with the highest risk of transmission.
“The world is in the middle of a pandemic and none of us can claim we are beyond the pandemic,” said Lundgren who described Denmark as “an isolated island” where the vaccine rollout has worked. .
“No one should have the illusion that we are above this.”
The tipping point in Denmark to start easing restrictions came when a majority in the 50+ age group had both hits, Riis Paludan said.
Since August 14, a face mask in public transport is no longer mandatory. On September 1, nightclubs reopened, the limits on public gatherings were removed and it was no longer mandatory to show the pass when one wanted to be seated inside restaurants, or going to football matches, fitness centers or a hairdresser.
However, a face mask or shield is still mandatory at airports, and people are advised to wear one to the doctor, test centers, or hospitals. Distancing is always recommended and strict entry restrictions still apply to non-Danes at borders. The epidemic is still considered “an ordinary dangerous disease”.
“The ghost in the crown is on the back of our heads,” said Frank Oestergaard, owner of a restaurant in downtown Copenhagen.
After more than a year, several European countries are starting to see the end of the tunnel, but with reservations. Some have lifted the restrictions but will introduce a vaccination passport. Others expect to do so soon. And in some places there are few restrictions and they are not observed.
On July 19, the British government lifted the remaining legal restrictions for England, although it is still considering introducing a vaccination passport for entry to nightclubs and other crowded places in late September.
In Denmark’s neighbor Sweden, which has stood out among European countries for its relatively passive response to the pandemic, the government said earlier this month that most of the restrictions, including the cap on gatherings private and public, and advice for working from home, will be withdrawn as of September 29.
The Scandinavian country has not entered lockdowns or closed businesses, instead relying on citizens’ sense of civic duty to control the infection. According to official figures, 70% of people over 15 received both injections and almost 82% received the first injection.
And despite a push, most of the Balkan countries have virtually no restrictions, and those that are in place are not being honored.
At the end of May, the Danish government presented the passport application with a QR code and a green bar if the person has been vaccinated twice or recently tested negative. A paper version was also available. People had to either scan the code or flash it before entering an airport, port, train station, hairdresser or restaurant.
While in many European countries there were pockets of resistance to such passes, people used it all the time in Denmark because people trusted the authorities, Riis Paludan said.
With their pass, people were able to have their hair cut, have a drink with friends or attend a cultural event. “It was regaining freedom instead of having to stay home in isolation,” Oestergaard said with a laugh.
“I think it’s great so hopefully we can get back to a normal day in the restaurant business without checking people and without any restrictions. That’s good, ”said café owner Ralph Marker.
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https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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