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Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

Find out what's going on in Denmark today with The Local's short roundup of the news.

Published: 2 July 2021 09:45 CEST
Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
The DFDS ferry route between Copenhagen and Oslo was also suspended during the early days of the pandemic. Service resumed from June 25th, 2020 (pictured) until January 8th. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix

Ferry service to Norway is back after a six-month hiatus

Danish shipping company DFDS has resumed ferry services between Norway and Denmark, the company announced today.

The service has been suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions since January 8th. The two ferries, known collectively as “the Oslo boats,” will set sail from Nordhavn to Oslo on July 2nd and 3rd, with a stop in Frederikshavn.

“Today is a day of celebration,” said Anne H. Steffensen, CEO of shipping industry organisation Danske Rederier. She hailed the resumption of the Copenhagen-Oslo service as a symbol of the reopening. She hopes Denmark’s ferries and passenger ships will be able to capitalise on a more mobile summer to make up for a slow spring.

Some Covid-19 tests won’t appear in the EU Covid certificate

Certain types of the rapid-result lighting tests for Covid will not be accepted for the EU Covid certificate, wrote the Danish Ministry of Health (Sundhedsministeriet) in a press release. 

The EU’s list of acceptable tests does not include several Danish providers, including Falck and Copenhagen Medical. Lightning tests (sometimes referred to as antigen tests or lateral flow tests) performed by the provider Carelink, which is listed as a provider on the EU list, will appear in the Covid certificate.

Therefore, the Ministry is encouraging people to have a PCR for travel. As of July 1st, appointments are no longer required for PCR tests. 

Vaccination schedules advanced by 2 weeks

Denmark’s National Board of Health (Sundhedsstyrelsen) has moved up its vaccination schedule by two weeks. 

Denmark aims to have everyone who wishes to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by August 29th. 

The updated vaccine plan means that those between the ages of 30 and 34 will be invited to get the vaccination two weeks earlier than expected and may receive the letter in their e-Boks as early as this or next week.

The new schedule also includes 12- to 15-year-olds, who are expected to be invited to get vaccinated from July 19th.

Children under 16 exempt from showing a Coronapas

The Danish Ministry of Health has stated that from July 2nd, children under 16 are exempt from showing a Coronapas. This extends the maximum age of exempt children from 15 to 16.

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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.” 

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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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