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Danish PM says new Covid restrictions needed after 9,999 new cases recorded

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Thursday she is “in no doubt” that new Covid-19 restrictions are necessary as the country registered almost 10,000 new cases of the virus.

Published: 16 December 2021 16:56 CET

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on December 16th she expects renewed Covid-19 restrictions, as the country registered a record 9,999 new cases.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on December 16th she expects renewed Covid-19 restrictions, as the country registered a record 9,999 new cases. Photo: Philip Davali/Ritzau Scanpix

Infectious disease agency State Serum Institute said 9,999 new cases of the virus were registered on Thursday.

The figure is a new record daily total for Denmark during the pandemic. The previous record, set 24 hours earlier, was 8,773 new cases.

The number of hospitalised patients increased by nine to 517, the highest number since February 1st.

In a post on Facebook on Thursday afternoon, Frederiksen wrote that she “is in no doubt that new measures will be necessary to break transmission chains”.

“Infection levels are, unfortunately as expected, very, very high. Authorities will provide a status later today,” she also wrote.

A press briefing by health authorities is scheduled for Thursday evening. No politicians are scheduled to be involved, as is the case when restrictions are announced.

The Epidemic Commission, the independent advisory board which advises the government on Covid-19 restrictions, was earlier considering whether new measures are necessary.

Health spokespersons from the various parliamentary parties have meanwhile been summoned to a meeting on Friday morning for the purposes of “orientation.”

The parliamentary Epidemic Committee, which must agree to not oppose new restrictions in order for them to be implemented, will also meet Friday, which means new measures could potentially be green lighted by the weekend.

READ ALSO: What new Covid-19 restrictions could Denmark introduce?

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Anonymous - 16 December 2021 at 17:33 CET

What is the beautiful painting in the photograph? Who is the artist?

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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.

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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