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CORONAPAS

Denmark considers reducing Covid-19 health pass vaccine validity

The Danish Health Ministry wants to shorten the period for which vaccination and previous infection provide a valid coronapas, Denmark’s Covid-19 health pass.

Denmark could reduce the validity of the coronapas to five months following vaccination or recovery from Covid-19.
Denmark could reduce the validity of the coronapas to five months following vaccination or recovery from Covid-19. Photo: Signe Goldmann/Ritzau Scanpix

The proposed tightening of the rules was recommended by Danish Health Authority and the government has asked its independent advisory board for management of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Epidemic Commission, to address the question and make a recommendation, Danish media reported on Wednesday.

A valid coronapas is currently required at bars, restaurants, cafes and several other customer-facing businesses in the service sector. It must also be presented on intercity trains and regional buses, at universities, language schools and other further education, at state workplaces and at gyms and places of worship.

READ ALSO: The Covid-19 restrictions now in effect in Denmark

Under current rules, a coronapas is valid for seven months after a person is fully vaccinated or has received a booster jab.

Recovery from Covid-19, giving conferred immunity, gives a valid coronapas for six months.

Health Minister Magnus Heunicke confirmed to broadcaster TV2 that the validity of the health pass would be reduced to five months in both cases.

Should the Epidemic Commission recommend the change in rules, the government would then need approval from parliament’s Epidemic Committee, on which members of all other parliamentary parties sit.

The Social Liberal (Radikale Venstre) party, a centre-left ally of the government, said it was ready to support the move.

“It turns out that the vaccines offer protection for a shorter amount of time. It’s therefore important that the coronapas fits with the protection there is so that people will get revaccinated and reduce transmission (of Covid-19),” Social Liberal health spokesperson Christina Thorholm told news wire Ritzau.

The party said it would await medical advice from health authorities before deciding on the exact changes to any rules.

The Liberal party, the main group in opposition said it would discuss the matter internally before taking a stance.

READ ALSO: Denmark sets latest Covid-19 cases record amid high testing

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HEALTH

Coronapas: Denmark’s Covid-19 health pass is no more after two years

The Coronapas, the Covid-19 health pass used in Denmark to document vaccination, test or infection history status during the pandemic, will be fully deactivated over two years since its introduction.

Coronapas: Denmark’s Covid-19 health pass is no more after two years

The Coronapas will be shut down at the end of June and can no longer be used to view vaccination history, health authorities said in a statement.

That is because Covid-19 travel certificates expire in the EU on June 30th and EU rules have not been extended to provide legal basis for an EU Covid travel pass.

The health pass was last year deactivated for use in Denmark after all Danish Covid restrictions ended, but was retained for EU travel and certification purposes.

The word “coronapas” entered the Danish dictionary after the digital certificate was introduced in May 2021 and was voted word of the year in 2021, but is now defunct.

While the EU Covid health pass provisions are about to end, the World Health Organization’s European office warned on Tuesday the risk of Covid-19 has not gone away, saying it was still responsible for nearly 1,000 deaths a week in the region.

The global health body announced on May 5th that the Covid-19 pandemic was no longer deemed a “global health emergency”, however.

READ ALSO: Covid-19 still causing 1,000 deaths a week in Europe, WHO warns

The digital health certificate no longer exists on the Coronapas app or in the MinSundhed app, which is an extension of the sundhed.dk health platform.

But a record of all vaccinations and the vaccinations of your children can still be accessed through Sundhed.dk, the health portal said.

A coronapas was displayed some 31.6 million times on the MinSundhed app alone between October 2021 and the end of 2022, according to the statement.

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