Europe : Denmark becomes the only country to lift all Covid19 curbs
Denmark on Friday became the only European nation with no Covid curbs, losing a requirement to show vaccine passports to enter nightclubs as it cautiously embraces a return to normal.
New infections have eased off in Denmark as vaccine rates have climbed, reaching over 70 percent of the overall population. But as the Scandinavian country looked ahead to a new post-pandemic reality, the WHO warned that vaccines alone may not end the pandemic and the virus could be around for years.
It is now the only country in Europe to have no coronavirus-induced curbs after Iceland, which lifted all restrictions in June, only to re-impose soon as cases spiked again.
It lifted the rule for Covid-19 pass requirement at museums and indoor events with fewer than 500 people from August 1, and followed it up with scrapping it for major events. Usage of masks on public transport has not been in the ‘mandatory’ since mid-August.
On Saturday, a concert in Copenhagen will see a footfall of 50,000 people, a first in Europe since the pandemic began.
Face masks or shields are still mandatory at airports and people are advised to wear one when at the doctor’s, test centers or hospitals. Distancing is still recommended, and strict entry restrictions still apply for non-citizens at the borders.
