Welcome to Denmark, where Covid is over – again. Yesterday, the
Scandinavian nation became the first country in Europe to put an end to all
coronavirus-related laws. In the eyes of the Danish government and,
crucially, the vast majority of its 5.8m citizens, the virus is no longer deemed
a “critical threat to society”. Cases remain high – very high – but the Danes
have moved on. Even if you test positive, there is no longer a legal obligation
to self-isolate.
In the capital, Copenhagen, there was an atmosphere of cautious relief on
Tuesday morning as people crammed into the Metro, onto commuter trains
and buses, and into shops without face masks for the first time since
November.
Even the new, more transmissible BA.2 omicron variant that now dominates
infections in Denmark could not put people off. Tyra Grove Krause, director of
infection preparedness at the country’s infectious diseases agency SSI, said
there was nothing for it but to let the new wave “run through the population”.
“With omicron, it is impossible to stop the spread of infection, even with
severe restrictions,” she said, before predicting that natural immunity would
now combine with Denmark’s high vaccination rates to send the latest wave
into decline by the middle of this month. As far as community health is
concerned, Covid is now on a par with the common cold.
Prime minister Mette Frederiksen: ‘We have the clear expectation that we can avoid major lockdowns in the future’
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...id-looks-like/