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COVID-19 RULES

Danish businesses consider retaining Covid restrictions

Although government-mandated Covid-19 restrictions will largely end in Denmark next week, some businesses are considering keeping rules in some form.

Some Danish companies may continue with Covid-19 measures after national rules are lifted.
Some Danish companies may continue with Covid-19 measures after national rules are lifted. Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Businesses in Denmark say they will continue with Covid-19 measures such as face masks, Covid passes and quarantine rules for close contacts even after national rules end, broadcaster DR reports.

Denmark plans to lift its Covid-19 restrictions on February 1st despite record infections, as its high vaccination rate is deemed sufficient against the milder Omicron variant, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

READ ALSO: Denmark confirms plan to lift Covid-19 restrictions on February 1st

The end of restrictions is expected to lead to increased infection numbers. As a result, businesses are considering keeping measures in place to limit the number of staff off sick due to isolation, according to DR’s report.

In addition to the imminent end of coronapas and face mask rules, people considered close contacts to confirmed Covid-19 cases are no longer required to self-isolate unless they develop symptoms or test positive themselves, according to new Danish Health Authority guidelines.

“We are sticking to (asking) people who have family members in their homes who have corona to stay at home until they have tested negative after four and six days, or their family member is out of isolation,” Niels Petersen, CEO of Aarhus company Carletti, which produces sweets, told DR.

The company is already hit by high staff sickness and not asking close contacts to isolate could worsen the situation, he said.

Another company boss said that staff would be asked to continue wearing face masks.

“I fear that we are going from corona being a critical threat to society to a critical threat to businesses,” Michael Hansen, CEO of metal company Nytech, told DR.

The company has already had to delay orders due to staff sickness, he said.

“We will continue the high level with face masks, hand sanitiser and working from home as far as possible. And we will continue to ask staff to take home tests,” he said.

The Confederation of Danish Industry (Dansk Industri) told DR that a number of companies would like to continue using the Covid-19 health pass, the coronapas while others would like to retain face mask rules.

“We will therefore support companies still being able to ask for a coronapas,” DI’s head of employment law Søren Dupont Dall said to the broadcaster.

The Epidemic Commission has recommended allowing businesses to continuing asking customers for a valid Covid-19 pass if they wish to do so, but this has not been applied to staff.

“Right now we have clear laws which give employers the option of seeing a coronapas, but if that law expires it could cause uncertainty. And that is not sensible,” Dupont Dall said.

The organisation nevertheless welcomed the end of restrictions and classification of Covid-19 as a critical threat to society.

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COVID-19 RULES

Denmark gives mink farmer suspended sentence for illegal breeding

A mink breeder located in West Jutland has been handed a fine and suspended prison sentence for keeping the animals while a national ban on the trade was in place.

Denmark gives mink farmer suspended sentence for illegal breeding

The breeder was prosecuted for continuing to breed minks while a ban against the trade was in place due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The breeder, based in West Jutland village Thyholm, was found to have 126 minks at his farm during an inspection in December 2021.

The conditional prison sentence, given after a ruling at the Holstebro Court, includes a community service requirement. The company with which the farmer is director must pay a fine of 100,000 kroner.

Denmark banned mink breeding in late 2020 over concerns about potential Covid variants that could emerge from the farms. The ban was lifted at the end of last year.

During the trial, the farmer claimed the animals weren’t his, and that he was looking after them for someone else.

“It was minks I looked after for others. They [the owners, ed.] came by and checked them,” he is reported to have said.

Private ownership of up to five minks was permitted while the ban on fur breeding was in place.

During the inspection, the Danish Veterinary and Food Agency (Fødevarestyrelsen) found the animals being kept “in farm-like conditions” with feed and medicines also discovered at the address.

A vet from the agency said during the trial that he was in no doubt that breeding was at play.

“They were kept in cages that millions of other minks were kept in. The cages were fastened with plastic strips so there was nothing to suggest this was pets,” he said.

The agency culled all 126 minks during the inspection, in line with Denmark’s Covid-19 controls at the time.

The farmer is reported to be considering an appeal against the decision.

READ ALSO: Half of Denmark’s mink breeders did not take Covid-19 tests despite requests

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