Denmark registers highest number of new coronavirus cases for two months
91 new cases of coronavirus were registered by health authorities in Denmark on Thursday, the highest daily infections figure in the country since May 18th.
The latest daily total from national infectious disease institute SSI shows the increase, which follows 57 new cases registered on Wednesday and 30 on Tuesday.
Average daily new Covid-19 infections in Denmark have crept up throughout July. The week commencing July 5th saw an average of 18 new cases per day. That had increased to 41 by last week.
The latest daily total from national infectious disease institute SSI shows a decrease of one in the number of hospitalised patients.
Three fewer people are hospitalised with Covid-19 than yesterday. That figure now stands at 18. Of the hospitalised patients, three are in ICU care and all three are receiving ventilator treatment.
One new death from Covid-19 was also registered by SSI. The total number of deaths with the virus since the start of the epidemic in Denmark is 615.
Increasing daily infections in the country coincide with an outbreak at a Danish Crown meat processing plant in Ringsted, Zealand.
Danish Crown said on Tuesday that three members of staff at its processing facility had tested positive. The figure increased to 16 on Wednesday and was today reported to stand at 32 cases in total.
Although today's total is high compared to recent numbers, there is no immediate cause for alarm, according to Jens Lundgren, professor of infectious disease at Copenhagen’s Rigshospitalet.
“The number is concerning of course, but it is not surprising with the outbreak in Ringsted, which there is currently a hotspot with many new cases of infection,” Lundgren told Ritzau.
“But there is no sign of a trend towards spread throughout the country. At the same time, there is a low number of hospital admissions, so I see no reason to be worried when looking at today's figures in isolation,” he said.
“But it is clear that this is a sign that things can develop quickly and it will be important to follow the development in August when many people will come home from summer holidays abroad,” the professor added.
Danish Crown expects to have tested and received results by the beginning of next week for all staff potentially affected by the cluster of infections at the Ringsted plant.
“The new cases of infection are persons who were in contact with people who were found infected earlier in the week, but it is of course serious,” the company’s head of press communications Jens Hansen told Ritzau.
A mobile Covid-19 testing centre has been set up at the site by health authorities.
The Ringsted plant has about 900 employees. They will be tested weekly for the next seven weeks in a measure designed to bring the outbreak under control.
More than 100 employees at the facility have been asked to stay home from work because they have been in close contact with one or more infected people.
READ ALSO: Face masks still not necessary in Denmark: health agency director
Comments
See Also
The latest daily total from national infectious disease institute SSI shows the increase, which follows 57 new cases registered on Wednesday and 30 on Tuesday.
Average daily new Covid-19 infections in Denmark have crept up throughout July. The week commencing July 5th saw an average of 18 new cases per day. That had increased to 41 by last week.
The latest daily total from national infectious disease institute SSI shows a decrease of one in the number of hospitalised patients.
Three fewer people are hospitalised with Covid-19 than yesterday. That figure now stands at 18. Of the hospitalised patients, three are in ICU care and all three are receiving ventilator treatment.
One new death from Covid-19 was also registered by SSI. The total number of deaths with the virus since the start of the epidemic in Denmark is 615.
Increasing daily infections in the country coincide with an outbreak at a Danish Crown meat processing plant in Ringsted, Zealand.
Danish Crown said on Tuesday that three members of staff at its processing facility had tested positive. The figure increased to 16 on Wednesday and was today reported to stand at 32 cases in total.
Although today's total is high compared to recent numbers, there is no immediate cause for alarm, according to Jens Lundgren, professor of infectious disease at Copenhagen’s Rigshospitalet.
“The number is concerning of course, but it is not surprising with the outbreak in Ringsted, which there is currently a hotspot with many new cases of infection,” Lundgren told Ritzau.
“But there is no sign of a trend towards spread throughout the country. At the same time, there is a low number of hospital admissions, so I see no reason to be worried when looking at today's figures in isolation,” he said.
“But it is clear that this is a sign that things can develop quickly and it will be important to follow the development in August when many people will come home from summer holidays abroad,” the professor added.
Danish Crown expects to have tested and received results by the beginning of next week for all staff potentially affected by the cluster of infections at the Ringsted plant.
“The new cases of infection are persons who were in contact with people who were found infected earlier in the week, but it is of course serious,” the company’s head of press communications Jens Hansen told Ritzau.
A mobile Covid-19 testing centre has been set up at the site by health authorities.
The Ringsted plant has about 900 employees. They will be tested weekly for the next seven weeks in a measure designed to bring the outbreak under control.
More than 100 employees at the facility have been asked to stay home from work because they have been in close contact with one or more infected people.
READ ALSO: Face masks still not necessary in Denmark: health agency director
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.