Denmark bans flights from northern Italy as coronavirus infections rise to 156
Denmark will from Tuesday not allow incoming flights from areas considered high-risk due to coronavirus outbreak, the country has announced.
Prime minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed the measure on Tuesday as Denmark’s total number of coronavirus cases continued to rise.
Patient Safety Authority (Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed) figures updated at 11am on Tuesday show 156 confirmed coronavirus cases in Denmark with 875 people in quarantine. That represents an increase of nearly 100 over 24 hours.
In addition to the Italian regions, the ban on flight arrivals encompasses all areas designated “red” by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its assessment of coronavirus risk, meaning it advises against all travel (not just non-essential travel) to those areas.
The Italian regions in question are Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Veneto, Marche and Valle d'Aosta.
The ban also includes all of Iran; Ischgl in Austria; Hubei province in China; Daegu city and Gyeongbuk province in South Korea.
The ban, comes into effect later on Tuesday, is initially applied for 14 days but can be extended.
“It is clear that this will have consequences for Danes staying in the affected areas, and airlines will also be impacted,” says Minister of Transport Benny Engelbrecht said at a Tuesday press briefing reported by DR.
“We as a society need to take our responsibilities seriously, and the government believes that it is necessary to introduce a flight ban now,” Engelbrecht said.
In addition, new rules have been applied to entry into Denmark throughout the day from "red" areas.
"Persons entering Denmark from 'red' areas will no longer be able to enter the airport and may not subsequently use public transport," Frederiksen said at the press briefing.
Authorities are investigating whether the same measures can be applied to direct buses, Ritzau writes.
Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs now advises extra care regarding coronavirus for the whole world in its official travel guidelines.
You can keep up to date with the Danish foreign ministry's travel advice relating to Italy and all other countries via the ministry's website.
The Danish Patient Safety Authority is currently offering a number of helplines for people affected by the coronavirus.
People in home quarantine can contact the authority with questions of a practical nature between 9am and 10pm. The relevant telephone numbers are 72 22 74 28 (Copenhagen and Zealand regions); 70 20 21 77 (Central and North Jutland regions); and 29 31 98 63 (South Denmark region).
A hotline for both healthcare workers and the general public who have questions about coronavirus has also been set up. The number for this is 70 20 02 33.
Health authorities in Denmark and elsewhere are worried about potentially infected people turning up at hospitals and passing on the virus.
Therefore, you should always start by contacting your doctor by telephone. Remember to state that you have been in an area of infection, if this is the case.
You can read more about symptoms and who to contact in our paywall-free information article.
You can keep up to date with coronavirus situation in Denmark via this article, which also includes official guidelines on the everyday precautions you can take and what to do and who to contact if you have travelled to outbreak areas or are concerned about symptoms. The article will be updated on an ongoing basis.
We are keeping the article paywall-free, which means it will remain open to new or occasional readers. An explanation of this decision can be found at the bottom of the article.
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Prime minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed the measure on Tuesday as Denmark’s total number of coronavirus cases continued to rise.
Patient Safety Authority (Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed) figures updated at 11am on Tuesday show 156 confirmed coronavirus cases in Denmark with 875 people in quarantine. That represents an increase of nearly 100 over 24 hours.
In addition to the Italian regions, the ban on flight arrivals encompasses all areas designated “red” by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its assessment of coronavirus risk, meaning it advises against all travel (not just non-essential travel) to those areas.
The Italian regions in question are Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Veneto, Marche and Valle d'Aosta.
The ban also includes all of Iran; Ischgl in Austria; Hubei province in China; Daegu city and Gyeongbuk province in South Korea.
The ban, comes into effect later on Tuesday, is initially applied for 14 days but can be extended.
“It is clear that this will have consequences for Danes staying in the affected areas, and airlines will also be impacted,” says Minister of Transport Benny Engelbrecht said at a Tuesday press briefing reported by DR.
“We as a society need to take our responsibilities seriously, and the government believes that it is necessary to introduce a flight ban now,” Engelbrecht said.
In addition, new rules have been applied to entry into Denmark throughout the day from "red" areas.
"Persons entering Denmark from 'red' areas will no longer be able to enter the airport and may not subsequently use public transport," Frederiksen said at the press briefing.
Authorities are investigating whether the same measures can be applied to direct buses, Ritzau writes.
Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs now advises extra care regarding coronavirus for the whole world in its official travel guidelines.
You can keep up to date with the Danish foreign ministry's travel advice relating to Italy and all other countries via the ministry's website.
The Danish Patient Safety Authority is currently offering a number of helplines for people affected by the coronavirus.
People in home quarantine can contact the authority with questions of a practical nature between 9am and 10pm. The relevant telephone numbers are 72 22 74 28 (Copenhagen and Zealand regions); 70 20 21 77 (Central and North Jutland regions); and 29 31 98 63 (South Denmark region).
A hotline for both healthcare workers and the general public who have questions about coronavirus has also been set up. The number for this is 70 20 02 33.
Health authorities in Denmark and elsewhere are worried about potentially infected people turning up at hospitals and passing on the virus.
Therefore, you should always start by contacting your doctor by telephone. Remember to state that you have been in an area of infection, if this is the case.
You can read more about symptoms and who to contact in our paywall-free information article.
You can keep up to date with coronavirus situation in Denmark via this article, which also includes official guidelines on the everyday precautions you can take and what to do and who to contact if you have travelled to outbreak areas or are concerned about symptoms. The article will be updated on an ongoing basis.
We are keeping the article paywall-free, which means it will remain open to new or occasional readers. An explanation of this decision can be found at the bottom of the article.
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