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COVID-19

Denmark to introduce ‘digital passport’ to document Covid-19 vaccination

The Danish government has announced it is to introduce a so-called ‘digital corona passport' which can be used to document vaccination.

Denmark to introduce 'digital passport' to document Covid-19 vaccination
Acting finance minister Morten Bødskov. Photo:Martin Sylvest/Ritzau Scanpix

The exact practical applications of the digital documentation are still under consideration, but its primary purpose is to facilitate a reopening of society.

“We are taking the first steps so that, before the end of February, you will be able to see your vaccination on (online health services platform) Sundhed.dk,” acting finance minister Morten Bødskov said.

“In three to four months, the digital corona passport will be ready for use for things like business trips,” Bødskov added.

The government and business representatives will decide on the exact applications of the vaccination ‘passport’ once it has been fully realised, depending on the situation with the coronavirus at that time, the minister said.

“It will be an extra pass you can have on your mobile phone which documents you have been vaccinated,” he said.

“This is about us, as a country, exploiting the technical advantages we have. We can be amongst the first in the world to have this and show it to the rest of the world,” he said.

The digital certification will provide “extra assurance” once Denmark emerges from lockdown, according to the minister.

Interest organisations for Danish businesses have previously gone on record to advocate the need for easily accessible proof of vaccination against Covid-19.

“By using the digital head start we have, we can allow travel and participation in cultural life in Denmark. We will benefit from the corona passport for many years,” said Lars Sandahl Sørensen, CEO of the Confederation Danish Industry.

READ ALSO: Denmark to roll out Covid-19 'vaccine passport'

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COVID-19

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

The number of new Covid-19 infections fell on Saturday for the second day in a row, following a three-day plateau at the start of last week. Has the omicron wave peaked?

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.” 

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