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What isn’t covered in Denmark’s plan for lifting of Covid-19 restrictions?

Denmark has announced a plan to lift many of its current coronavirus restrictions by the end of May, but the future of some of the current rules remains unclear.

What isn’t covered in Denmark’s plan for lifting of Covid-19 restrictions?
File photo: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix

In an announcement late Monday, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen unveiled the plan for a return to normal which will see schools and universities, shops, restaurants and bars, libraries, museums and cinemas gradually reopen over a period of two months. 

“With a few exceptions, Danish society should be open when everyone over the age of 50 has been vaccinated,” set to be done by the end of May, she said.

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Some areas are still awaiting clarification following the past day’s announcements.

Travel

Few hints are given in the agreement text as to when travel in and out of Denmark may begin to return to something resembling pre-Covid conditions.

The agreement text sets out a fixed point for ending restrictions “when the oldest and vulnerable citizens and citizens over 50 years old have been vaccinated with the first dose, if they want it”.

That point will signal the end of most restrictions, although some will remain including those “in relation to events which carry a risk of superspreading, including large events and nightlife, travel restrictions and general measures to reduce infections,” the agreement states.

It also states that the government will look for a way to ease restrictions on foreign travel after May 21st, the final date in the plan for lifting restrictions.

The government will “work towards allowing travel with corona vaccines and anti-infection measures – provided that authorities consider data from the countries in question to be valid and trustworthy”.

Public assembly limit

The limit on the number of people who are allowed to gather in public places was increased from 5 to 10 effective Monday, and from 25 to 50 for organised sports activities. But no definite outline was given in the new plan for further increases to that limit.

A plan will be offered in mid-April for the phasing-out of the public assembly limit, according to the text of the agreement announced on Monday night.

“The government will call negotiations such that the phasing-out of the assembly ban is integrated into the gradual reopening,” the agreement states.

The plan will be based on recommendations made by the government’s expert Epidemic Commission, Ritzau writes.

Events

The government has remained vague on when major sporting and cultural events could see audiences return, including the Roskilde Festival and football matches in the European Championship scheduled to be hosted in Copenhagen in late June.

The plan does however provide for an expert group, which the government has called “fast-working” (hurtigtarbejdende), which will provide recommendations for large-scale, corona-safe events. The recommendations will be ready by mid-April, according to the plan, which was agreed between the minority government and a broad section of parliament.

The director of the Roskilde Festival, Signe Lopdrup, told news wire Ritzau that she remained positive over the event’s prospects for taking place this year.

“If not, I assume we’d have been informed that it wouldn’t be possible,” she said.

“So our planning continues with renewed intensity – otherwise, we’ll run out of time,” she added in a written comment.

The director of the event, which is Scandinavia’s largest music festival and was cancelled in 2020, also said she’d have preferred a definite answer now rather than later in the spring. The 2021 event is scheduled to open on June 26th.

READ ALSO: Danish festival organisers can ‘carefully’ plan events with support package agreed

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COVID-19

Who should get vaccinated against Covid and flu in Denmark and when?

It is still free to get a Covid-19 vaccine in Denmark if you are over the age of 65 or have a health condition, with the health authorities now running Covid and flu vaccinations together. Here's what you need to know.

Who should get vaccinated against Covid and flu in Denmark and when?

Who is being offered a vaccine for Covid-19 or flu this autumn? 

According to the information on the Danish Health Authority’s website, Covid-19 and flu vaccines are being offered to: 

  • People over the age of 65
  • People under the age of 65 who have a health condition which puts them at increased risk. You can find a list of the long-term health conditions deemed a risk here
  • Pregnant women in the 2nd and 3rd trimester

Children between 2 and 6 years of age are being offered a special flu vaccine for children, which is administered as a nose spray, but not the Covid vaccine (unless they fit one of the categories above). 

Those who have retired early, for whatever reason, are also being offered the flu vaccine but not a Covid-19 vaccine.  

People over the age of 65 and the parents of children between the ages of 2 and 6 will automatically receive an invitation to get vaccinated though their digital postbox at borger.dk, e-Boks and mit.dk.

People in the other eligible categories will not receive an invitation. 

If you have not yet received an invitation, do not worry, as invitations are being staggered over October and the start of November.  

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When and where can I get vaccinated? 

This year’s autumn vaccination campaign started on October 1st and will continue until January 15th. 

You can get vaccinated at one of over 50 regional vaccination sites all over Denmark, or at the over 280 local pharmacies which are signed up to be part of the programme. 

Residents of care homes for the elderly and others in need will be offered vaccinated at their home.

You can log in and book an appointment at your nearest centre or pharmacy at Denmark’s official vaccination website www.vacciner.dk.

Is it possible to get vaccinated against both flu and Covid-19 at the same time? 

The Danish Health Authority has judged that it is safe to receive vaccines against both flu and Covid-19 at the same time, but the two vaccines cannot be mixed in the same syringe, so you will receive two separate injections. 

Is vaccination compulsory? 

No. Although the strongly recommends everyone in the various risk categories to get vaccinated, it is up to every individual whether to do so. 

Is it possible to get vaccinated even if I am not over 65 or in a risk group? 

It is no longer possible to get vaccinated against Covid-19 or flu through Denmark’s national vaccination programme if you are not in one of the recommended categories, after the country’s health authorities stopped offering paid vaccinations.  

But it remains possible to get vaccinated at a private vaccination centre, such as the SikkerRejse chain found in most Danish towns. The chain, which has a waiting list, offers doses of the latest Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5 vaccine for a total price of 995 kroner. 

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