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Denmark Omicron Covid-19 cases up 484 to exceed 1,200 in total

The total number of Covid-19 cases in Denmark caused by the Omicron variant is now 1,280.

Published: 10 December 2021 17:39 CET

People queue for Covid-19 tests in November 2021. Denmark on December 10th reported a jump in the number of cases caused by the omicron variant.

People queue for Covid-19 tests in November 2021. Denmark on December 10th reported a jump in the number of cases caused by the omicron variant.Photo: Claus Bech/Ritzau Scanpix

The figure, reported by national agency State Serum Institute (SSI), is an increase of 484 compared to Thursday.

Denmark registered a total of 6,599 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday. 472 people are currently admitted to hospital with the virus, 12 more than on Thursday.

“The number of Omicron cases has increased sharply since yesterday so things are unfortunately moving fast with transmission at the moment,” SSI director Henrik Ullum said.

“I would therefore again like to strongly encourage everyone who has been invited to be vaccinated to book a test without delay,” Ullum added in a press statement.

Danish health authorities are now able to use PCR tests to confirm the Omicron variant is at play, rather than needing to gene sequence test samples.

Earlier this week, new restrictions were introduced with health authorities stating that Omicron was now being spread in the community, meaning cases are no longer traceable to travel.

BioNTech and Pfizer warned on Wednesday that two doses of its coronavirus vaccine protect less against the Omicron variant, but stressed it was “still effective” after a third jab.

Omicron has caused global concern over signs that it can transmit faster than previous strains and fears that its multiple mutations could help it evade immune defences provided by vaccines.

In preliminary results published on Wednesday, Pfizer and BioNTech said their vaccine “is still effective in preventing Covid-19, also against Omicron, if it has been administered three times”.

Scientists from the World Health Organization and the United States government told news wire AFP this week the Omicron variant appeared to be no worse than other coronavirus strains but said more research was still necessary.

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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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