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Aarhus coronavirus outbreak: face masks become mandatory on public transport

Face masks are to be made a mandatory requirement on public transport in Aarhus, in response to a spike in Covid-19 cases in the city.

Published: 7 August 2020 17:32 CEST
Aarhus coronavirus outbreak: face masks become mandatory on public transport
A police information sign in central Aarhus. Photo: Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix

Health minister Magnus Heunicke confirmed the measure for Denmark’s second-largest city on Friday.

“We can’t have another March 11th [the day Denmark announced lockdown, ed.] with comprehensive lockdown. We believe that with pinprick operations like this, we can stop (outbreaks) through local efforts,” Heunicke said.

“We are convinced that the people of Aarhus will back us up on this,” he added.

The rule will apply for 14 days initially and is expected to take effect imminently, DR writes. Passengers on public transport will need both a face mask and a ticket in order to travel.

In addition to the use of face masks, the health ministry is asking people in the city to avoid public transport where possible.

 

Coronavirus cases across Denmark are currently increasing. 136 new cases were registered on Friday, the highest total since June 22nd (not including Monday updates, which collate weekend figures).

Of the 136 new cases, 68 are in Aarhus, continuing an upward trend of cases in the city which makes it a hotspot when compared to the rest of the country. 34 cases were registered between Wednesday and Thursday.

In previous comments, officials in Aarhus have said that no one community or event was to blame for the outbreak.

READ ALSO: Danish party calls for free face masks for low-income groups

Aarhus lord mayor Jacob Bundsgaard said in a Danish Patient Safety Authority press statement that the situation is “extremely serious”.

“Everyone has a responsibility in the fight against the corona epidemic. We can only stop the virus with a strong joint effort,” Bundsgaard said.

Authorities are also encouraging working from home and have requested youth education institutes to postpone physical classes by 14 days.

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COVID-19

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

Sweden's Public Health Agency is recommending that those above the age of 80 should receive two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn, as it shifts towards a longer-term strategy for the virus.

Published: 23 December 2022 10:53 CET
Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

In a new recommendation, the agency said that those living in elderly care centres, and those above the age of 80 should from March 1st receive two vaccinations a year, with a six month gap between doses. 

“Elderly people develop a somewhat worse immune defence after vaccination and immunity wanes faster than among young and healthy people,” the agency said. “That means that elderly people have a greater need of booster doses than younger ones. The Swedish Public Health Agency considers, based on the current knowledge, that it will be important even going into the future to have booster doses for the elderly and people in risk groups.” 

READ ALSO: 

People between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and young people with risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, poor kidney function or high blood pressure, are recommended to take one additional dose per year.

The new vaccination recommendation, which will start to apply from March 1st next year, is only for 2023, Johanna Rubin, the investigator in the agency’s vaccination programme unit, explained. 

She said too much was still unclear about how long protection from vaccination lasted to institute a permanent programme.

“This recommendation applies to 2023. There is not really an abundance of data on how long protection lasts after a booster dose, of course, but this is what we can say for now,” she told the TT newswire. 

It was likely, however, that elderly people would end up being given an annual dose to protect them from any new variants, as has long been the case with influenza.

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