The Danish Health Authority wants to reduce the validity period of the coronapas following the second vaccine dose and after recovery from infection from Covid-19, the authority said in a press statement on Thursday January 6th.

The basis for the decision is Denmark’s high infection rate with the coronavirus currently, as well as the decline in the efficacy of vaccines against the Omicron variant within six months of their administration, the health authority said.

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.

The validity of the health pass would be reduced to five months in both cases should the rule change advocated by the Danish Health Authority be implemented.

Parliamentary approval is required for the rule change to come into effect. This looks likely at the time of writing, with a majority of parties already stating support for the move.

READ ALSO: Denmark considers reducing Covid-19 health pass vaccine validity

A valid coronapas is currently required at bars, restaurants, cafes and other businesses with a licence to serve alcohol. Takeaway businesses are exempted from the requirement. Nightclubs are currently closed.

Other customer-facing businesses in the service sector are also required to ask customers to present a valid coronapas. These include hairdressers, tattoo parlours, beauty and massage clinics, solariums (if staffed), driving schools and driving test centres.

The health pass must also be presented on intercity trains (the InterCity and InterCityLyn services operated by national rail company DSB). This means tickets and travel cards are rendered invalid without a green coronapas. It must also be shown on regional buses.

A coronapas must also be shown in some educational settings, but not at elementary schools (folkeskoler). It is required at universities, language schools and other vocational and further education institutions.

Places of work are allowed by the current restrictions to ask staff to provide a valid coronapas in order to work on-site. Public sector staff (employees of the state or regional authorities) must all have a valid coronapas.

The health pass is additionally required to use gyms and swimming pools and at places of worship. In the latter case, the requirement only applies for congregations over 100 indoors and over 1,000 outdoors. It is therefore required for normal religious services as well as marriages, funeral, christenings and other religious rites if they take place with congregations over the relevant number.

In the social and health care sector, visitors to care homes and other social care facilities must have a valid coronapas. This also applies at hospitals although next of kin can be exempted. Children under the age of 15 are exempted in these settings, and guardians and lawyers or other forms of representative or carer can also be granted an exemption.

When travelling or returning to Denmark from abroad, you may be asked to provide a valid Covid-19 health pass, depending on the entry rules that apply to you.

Businesses, private cultural institutions and organisations are meanwhile allowed by the law to make stricter coronapas (or face mask) requirements of guest than those set out by the law. Any extra rules put into place must not be discriminative.

Coronapas requirements do not apply to children under the age of 15 and persons who have received municipal approval of an exemption. Such an exemption must be signed and issued by the municipality.