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COVID-19

Danish towns face new local Covid curbs after thresholds dropped

At least 17 municipalities in Denmark could have to bring in new Covid-19 measures, after the Ministry of Health announced on Friday that it was sinking the threshold for local restrictions.

Published: 13 November 2021 14:20 CET
Danish towns face new local Covid curbs after thresholds dropped
The town hall in Ishøj, one of the municipalities likely to see restrictions from Monday. Photo: Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix

“This will mean that it is possible to put in place measures earlier if the infection rates rise locally,” the ministry said in a press release announcing the change. 

Under the new lowered thresholds, which come into force on Monday, municipalities need to bring in special infection reduction measures if they have more than 400 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, rather than 500 today, while in parishes, the limit has been dropped from to 800 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, from 1,000.

There are currently 17 municipalities where infection rates exceed these thresholds, including the Copenhagen suburbs of Ishøj, Hillerød, Ballerup, Glostrup, and Gentofte, and the Aarhus satellite town of Skanderborg. 

The decision was taken on the recommendation of Denmark’s Epidemic Commission after Denmark’s parliament last week voted to reclassify Covid-19 as a critical threat to society.

The local infection control measures will not, however, be as far-reaching as the local lockdowns imposed when municipalities or parishes crossed the threshold during earlier Covid-19 waves when schools and offices were ordered to close. 

Since the old system of local lockdowns expired on September 1st, the government has drawn up a list of less restrictive measures that municipalities and parishes can bring in. 

These measures include: 

  • encouraging students to stick with their classes during school breaks 
  • cancelling major social events which mix classes in schools 
  • limiting events such as class parties, birthdays to one class 
  • keeping distance between school staff, parents, and others. 
  • parents dropping off and picking up kindergarten pupils outside their institution (and not coming in). 

Here is the list of the municipalities which are likely to exceed the new thresholds when they come into force on Monday, according to figures reported by the SSI infectious diseases agency: 

  • Gentofte
  • Nordfyns
  • Solrød
  • Glostrup
  • Ishøj
  • Hillerød
  • Rudersdal
  • Sorø
  • Ballerup
  • Fredensborg
  • Skanderborg
  • Dragør
  • Vallensbæk
  • Vesthimmerlands
  • Aabenraa
  • Roskilde
  • Fanø

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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.

Published: 26 October 2023 11:10 CEST
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.  

READ ALSO: 

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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