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Covid-19: Omicron variant now dominant in Denmark as infections record broken again

Tuesday saw another new record for daily new cases of Covid-19 in Denmark as health authorities said the Omicron variant is now dominant in the country.

Published: 21 December 2021 16:57 CET
Omicron is now the dominant form of Covid-19 in Denmark, health minister Magnus Heunicke said on December 21st.
Omicron is now the dominant form of Covid-19 in Denmark, health minister Magnus Heunicke said on December 21st. Photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix

A total of 13,558 new cases of the virus were registered by national agency State Serum Institute (SSI), the highest figure throughout the pandemic.

Denmark has repeatedly broken its recorded for daily new cases since the beginning of December.

“SSI’s assessment is that Omicron is already the dominant variant and still spreading,” Health Minister Magnus Heunicke wrote on Twitter.

According to SSI, 501 of the new infections occurred in people who have previously had Covid-19. The criteria for this is that they tested positive for the virus at least 60 days ago.

The 13,558 new cases were found from 243,077 tests, giving a positivity rate of 5.58 percent.

The reproduction rate or R-number of the virus is now 1.2, indicating a growing epidemic, Heunicke also tweeted.

An R-number over 1.0 reflects a growth in the pandemic because it means 10 people with the virus will infect at least another 11. The value is an estimate and comprises a lag of around 10 days.

The number of hospitalised patients with the virus is now 554, 27 fewer than Monday’s figure. This may be related to discharges which are often high on Monday and lower on weekends.

New restrictions were introduced on Sunday in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. These include closures of parts of the leisure and entertainment sectors, widened face mask requirements and capacity limits in stores and on long distance public transport.

READ ALSO: Denmark changes Covid-19 isolation rules for close contacts

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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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