Denmark and Norway rush in stricter Covid measures as cases soar

Denmark and Norway have introduced stricter Covid measures to battle hovering an infection numbers, as authorities mentioned the brand new Omicron variant was spreading quick and would in all probability change into dominant in a number of EU nations inside weeks and even days.

Amid a diverse continental image that features sharply declining case numbers in many nations, the 2 Scandinavian governments mentioned they anticipated day by day infections would quickly exceed all earlier data as the extremely transmissible variant mixed with and fuelled a wave nonetheless largely pushed by the earlier Delta mutation.

Denmark, which like Britain carries out intensive fast genetic sequencing to detect variants, is second solely to the UK in the variety of confirmed cases of the mutation, with 3,473 cases recognized in a inhabitants of 5.8 million of which 80.6% are double jabbed.

Denmark coronavirus cases

The Danish authorities, which final week mentioned faculties and schools would shut early, curbed nightlife and promoted distant working, on Tuesday started providing booster photographs to all over-40s six weeks sooner than deliberate in an effort to curb the unfold of the virus.

The nationwide well being authority on Monday reported a 50% enhance in the variety of new weekly cases, the best for the reason that begin of the pandemic, with day by day infections hitting 7,799, double the quantity on the identical day final week.

While the surge was pushed principally by the Delta variant, it mentioned Omicron was forecast to change into dominant in the capital, Copenhagen, from this week, and nationwide quickly afterwards. In Norway, authorities mentioned Omicron was “becoming established and will dominate” throughout the nation earlier than Christmas.

Norwegian officers have warned Omicron might infect between 90,000 and 300,000 folks a day throughout the subsequent three weeks except new measures proved efficient, in contrast with a earlier peak of about 1,000, whereas hospital admissions might attain twice their earlier stage.

Norway has registered file numbers of infections and hospital admissions in current days, amongst them 958 Omicron cases reported on Monday, together with 472 in the capital, Oslo. The prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, warned of a critical state of affairs.

A mixture of the still-dominant Delta variant and the fast-spreading Omicron would create “a total saturation of the national health system”, Støre mentioned, saying on Monday night that booster photographs had been to be introduced ahead for well being staff and all over-45s.

Norway coronavirus cases

The prime minister additionally introduced that from Wednesday, bars and eating places would not serve alcohol, distant working can be obligatory the place doable, masks mandates can be prolonged and entry to swimming pools and gyms restricted.

“There is no doubt, the new variant really changes the rules. That’s why we need to act fast and we need to act again,” Støre mentioned. “For many this will feel like a lockdown, if not of society then of their lives and of their livelihoods.”

Elsewhere in Europe, an infection numbers in nations that endured important waves final month, earlier than Omicron emerged – together with Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, as effectively as central and japanese European nations such as Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Croatia – have fallen sharply.

However, officers in France, the place there are additionally indicators that the tempo of a fast current surge could also be beginning to gradual, have warned Omicron will virtually definitely gas a sixth wave, whereas cases in nations in southern Europe that largely escaped the autumn wave are beginning to rise quickly.

Martin Hirsch, the pinnacle of Paris’s AP-HP hospitals group, Europe’s largest hospital system, mentioned on Monday France ought to put together for an Omicron-driven wave of infections beginning in January, whereas Belgium’s chief epidemiologist mentioned he anticipated a recent surge to start out “around about new year’s time”.

Despite steadily falling case numbers, the Dutch authorities was anticipated on Tuesday to announce faculties would shut per week early for Christmas as infections remained excessive and hospitals struggled with a wave of sufferers.

Restaurants, bars, non-essential shops and different public locations have been closed from 5pm to 5am in the Netherlands since late November in an try and gradual the virus’s unfold.

Experts have mentioned Denmark’s superior sequencing capability – the nation has developed a fast genetic take a look at for Omicron, and is screening each optimistic take a look at for the variant – supplies a uniquely complete image of how the variant is spreading, and ought to serve as a warning of what’s to come back elsewhere in Europe.

Researchers on the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen estimated in a report this week that Omicron cases in Denmark had been doubling each two days, with about three-quarters of infections reported in individuals who have acquired two vaccine doses.

They predicted the variant would push day by day infections to greater than 10,000 by the tip of this week, with numbers rising additional and hospitals coming below stress even when, as most scientists consider, Omicron is much less virulent than earlier variants – however mentioned their modelling didn’t account for the impression of booster photographs.

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