Denmark’s Prime Minister announced on Nov. 8 that the government will reintroduce vaccine passports and other social measures to combat Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) after a two-month stay, crediting surging infection numbers—and the unvaccinated—as its cause.
Danish PM Mette Erikson pointed the finger at the unvaccinated for the present rise in COVID-attributed infections, “One of the things we are seeing is that the infection is spreading from those who are not vaccinated to those who are – including the elderly and people at risk,” she said in a Facebook post on Nov. 7.
Among Denmark’s population of 5.8 million people, 85.96 percent above the age of 12 have been fully vaccinated and almost 400,000 people have been “revaccinated,” according to Danish Health Authority (DHA) statistics.
At a press conference the following day, Frederiksen announced COVID-19 would be classified as a “socially threatening disease” based on a recommendation from the country’s Epidemic Commission, according to AFP.
Associated Press noted the classification, which was removed in September when authorities cancelled all social measures and life returned to normalcy, must yet be approved by parliament. However, the outlet notes that “a majority seems to be backing the suggestion of the minority Social Democratic government.”
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During statements, the Prime Minister acknowledged that vaccine passports would make life for the unvaccinated problematic, but noted pointedly, “That’s how I think it should be.”
“The health authorities were expecting more people to be infected (by Covid) and hospitalized, but the things have gone faster than expected.”
In comments on the return of health status papers, Frederiksen framed the change in a soothing light, “You can live with the corona-pass…It gives you peace of mind when you go to the cinema or to a concert.”
The DHA reports a total of 315 hospitalizations throughout the country with 39 people in intensive care and 23 on ventilators as of time of writing.
The country, which bases its official numbers on PCR tests alone and aggregates its data based solely on a per diem breakdown of the previous 14 days, shows that 14 days ago it recorded 1,253 positive PCR tests out of a total of 65,267 administered.
7 days later, those numbers spiked to 1,981 positive tests out of 95,775 administered, reaching a peak of 2,416 positive tests out of 133,504 administered on Nov. 7.
Over the previous 14 days, Denmark has recorded an average of 3 deaths per day, ranging from between 0 and 10. The DHA website notes the fatalities statistic “includes deaths recorded within 30 days of the detection of COVID-19 infection in the individual on the basis of PCR tests. COVID19 is not necessarily the cause of death.”
With additional reporting by Neil Campbell
