COPY LINK

AARHUS

Aarhus coronavirus restrictions extended despite improving figures

Measures introduced in Aarhus to slow down an increase in coronavirus infections have been extended until September 4th.

Published: 20 August 2020 12:05 CEST

Aarhus coronavirus restrictions extended despite improving figures

Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

Despite improvements in infections figures in Aarhus in recent days, the Danish Patient Safety Authority is to extend measures against the virus, the authority confirmed in a statement on its website.

The measures include recommendations to work from home wherever possible and avoid busy times at supermarkets; and for youth education institutions to postpone physical attendance of classes.

The restrictions are due to a high rate of infections per 100,000 residents in Aarhus Municipality, despite a recent improvement that saw only 13 new cases registered on Wednesday.

READ ALSO: New Danish Covid-19 cases back under 100: could figure be sign of downward trend?

But Silkeborg Municipality, which had also been in the spotlight of health authorities after cases increased there, could see restrictions lifted by August 24th, the Danish Patient Safety Authority said in the statement.

“If the positive trend in Silkeborg continues over the weekend, the measures introduced by the Danish Patient Safety Authority and (Silkeborg) municipality on August 10th with the aim of stopping infection spread will be lifted on August 24th,” the statement reads.

“Things are also going the right way in Aarhus, but … the number of cases per 100,000 people remains high and population density in Aarhus is relatively high. The situation will therefore be followed closely and the measures introduced on August 7th be extended, initially until September 4th,” it continues.

The requirement to wear face masks on public transport will remain in place in both cities however, with the rule since having been made national.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

IN NUMBERS: Has the Omicron Covid-19 wave peaked in Denmark?

Graffiti in the Copenhagen hippy enclave of Christiania complaining of Omicron's impact on Christmas. Photo: Philip Davali/Scanpix

How many cases, hospitalisations and deaths are there in Denmark?

Denmark registered 12,588 new cases in the 24 hours leading up to 2pm on Saturday, down from the 18,261 registered on in the day leading up to Friday at 2pm, which was itself a decline from the record 28,283 cases recorded on Wednesday.

The cases were identified by a total of 174,517 PCR tests, bringing the positive percentage to 7.21 percent, down from the sky high rates of close to 12 percent seen in the first few days of January.

The number of cases over the past seven days is lower than the week before in almost every municipality in Denmark, with only Vallensbæk, Aarhus, Holseterbro, Skanderborg, Hjørring, Vordingborg, Ringkøbing, Kolding, Assens, Horsens, Thisted, and Langeland reporting rises.

Hospitalisations have also started to fall, with some 730 patients being treated for Covid-10 on Saturday, down from 755 on Friday. On Tuesday, 794 were being treated for Covid-19 in Danish hospitals, the highest number since the peak of the 2020-21 winter wave.

The only marker which has not yet started to fall is the number of deaths, which tends to trail infections and hospitalisations.

In the 24 hours leading up to 2pm on Saturday, Denmark registered 28 deaths with Covid-19, the highest daily number recorded since 20 January 2021, when 29 people died with Covid-19 (although Denmark’s deadliest day was the 19 January 2021, when 39 people died).

How does Denmark compare to other countries in Europe?

Over the last seven days, Denmark has had the highest Covid-19 case rate of any country in Europe bar Ireland. The number of new infections in the country has climbed steadily since the start of December, apart from a brief fall over Christmas.

So does this mean the omicron wave has peaked?

Maybe, although experts are not sure.

“Of course, you can hope for that, but I’m not sure that is the case,” said Christian Wejse, head of the Department for Infectious Diseases at Aarhus University Hospital. “I think it is too early to conclude that the epidemic has peaked.”

He said that patients with the Omicron variant were being discharged more rapidly on average than had been the case with those who had the more dangerous Delta variant.

“Many admissions are relatively short-lived, thankfully. This is because many do not become that il, and are largely hospitalized because they are suffering with something else. And if they are stable and do not need oxygen, then they are quickly discharged again.”

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said during a visit to an event held by the Social Liberal party that the latest numbers made her even more optimistic about the coming month.

“We have lower infection numbers and the number of hospitalisations is also plateauing,” she said. “I think we’re going to get through this winter pretty well, even if it will be a difficult time for a lot of people, and we are beginning to see the spring ahead of us, so I’m actually very optimistic.”

She said that she had been encouraged by the fact that Omicron was a “visibly less dangerous variant if it is not allowed to explode.”

Url copied to clipboard!