Weekend figures show rise in Danish coronavirus cases
A total of 207 new cases of coronavirus were registered by Danish authorities over the past weekend.
The figure encompasses all tests taken between Friday and Monday morning, and comes from national infectious diseases institute SSI.
It is almost double the 109 new cases registered last Monday.
A significant proportion of the new cases are linked to an outbreak at the Danish Crown meat processing plant in Ringsted, Zealand, where 79 cases of coronavirus amongst staff have been detected since Sunday July 26th.
24 people are currently hospitalised across Denmark with Covid-19, an increase of 6 since Friday. Two are in ICU care – one less than Friday. Both are receiving ventilator treatment.
One person died with the coronavirus during the weekend, bringing the number of lives lost to it in Denmark to 616.
“We a seeing a general trend of increasing cases in Denmark. That is to be expected, because we have opened Denmark up,” Lars Østergaard, senior doctor and professor at Aarhus University Hospital Skejby, told Ritzau.
Denmark began the first phase of reopening after lockdown in mid-April and opened its borders for leisure travel to most of Europe in June.
“The spread of infection is still at a low level but since it is increasing, we are now at a good stage to be careful that we don’t get a second wave,” Østergaard said.
The proportionately large increase in hospitalisations over the weekend should also be seen in context, given that hospitals discharge fewer patients in general on weekends.
“The number of infected people admitted to hospital is still low, but we must also remember that there is some time between being infected and being admitted to hospital,” Østergaard said.
“The real picture of virus spread is in how many are testing positive, and we are seeing an increasing trend here,” he added.
The professor advised the public to follow the advice of health authorities to help keep the virus at a low level in Denmark.
“(The latest figures) may suggest – I’ve certainly noticed it myself – that there is some slacking off on guidelines on distance and hand hygiene, for example in supermarkets,” he said.
“These are a few, simple pieces of advice we should follow to keep the virus down,” he added.
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Denmark changes face mask guidelines: now advised on busy public transport
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These are Denmark's current coronavirus guidelines for the public
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The figure encompasses all tests taken between Friday and Monday morning, and comes from national infectious diseases institute SSI.
It is almost double the 109 new cases registered last Monday.
A significant proportion of the new cases are linked to an outbreak at the Danish Crown meat processing plant in Ringsted, Zealand, where 79 cases of coronavirus amongst staff have been detected since Sunday July 26th.
24 people are currently hospitalised across Denmark with Covid-19, an increase of 6 since Friday. Two are in ICU care – one less than Friday. Both are receiving ventilator treatment.
One person died with the coronavirus during the weekend, bringing the number of lives lost to it in Denmark to 616.
“We a seeing a general trend of increasing cases in Denmark. That is to be expected, because we have opened Denmark up,” Lars Østergaard, senior doctor and professor at Aarhus University Hospital Skejby, told Ritzau.
Denmark began the first phase of reopening after lockdown in mid-April and opened its borders for leisure travel to most of Europe in June.
“The spread of infection is still at a low level but since it is increasing, we are now at a good stage to be careful that we don’t get a second wave,” Østergaard said.
The proportionately large increase in hospitalisations over the weekend should also be seen in context, given that hospitals discharge fewer patients in general on weekends.
“The number of infected people admitted to hospital is still low, but we must also remember that there is some time between being infected and being admitted to hospital,” Østergaard said.
“The real picture of virus spread is in how many are testing positive, and we are seeing an increasing trend here,” he added.
The professor advised the public to follow the advice of health authorities to help keep the virus at a low level in Denmark.
“(The latest figures) may suggest – I’ve certainly noticed it myself – that there is some slacking off on guidelines on distance and hand hygiene, for example in supermarkets,” he said.
“These are a few, simple pieces of advice we should follow to keep the virus down,” he added.
READ ALSO:
- Denmark changes face mask guidelines: now advised on busy public transport
- These are Denmark's current coronavirus guidelines for the public
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