There are signs of stabilization of the new coronavirus epidemic in Denmark, the country’s Health Minister said today, citing vaccinations against COVID-19 and the boosting dose of vaccines as possible reasons.
“The reproductive index is estimated at 1. Other important data such as the impact index, the positivity index, etc. show that the growth of infections is slowing down and that we have a more stable epidemic,” said Health Minister Magnus Honike in a message.
The reproductive index measures how many people on average transmit the virus to an infected person. 1 shows that the epidemic is neither accelerating nor slowing down.
This “may be due, among other things, to immunity from vaccination and revaccination, as a person over the age of seven has now received a third dose” of the COVID-19 vaccine, the minister said.
More than 75% of the population has been vaccinated in Denmark, while 13.5% have received a booster dose.
Denmark had recorded record rates of more than 4,000 daily cases in recent weeks from about 200 in mid-September, but the country has so far avoided imposing strict lockdown restrictions.
Germany, Austria and the Netherlands
At the same time, according to new data released, the incidence rate decreased slightly in Germany and Austria and stabilized in the Netherlands since the three countries introduced new measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
Following the epicenter of a new wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in Western Europe, Austria imposed a fourth total lockdown last week and the Netherlands and Germany imposed new restrictions.
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute said 452.2 people per 100,000 were infected last week, down slightly from 452.4 on Monday. This is the first reduction since the beginning of November.
Nevertheless, the number of new cases increased slightly compared to last week to 45,753 and another 388 deaths were recorded, which is the highest number since the beginning of March. With them the total number of deaths in the country from COVID-19 amounted to 101,344.
Austria also announced 8,186 new cases today. The incidence rate per 100,000 people was at 936, down from its peak on November 22, when it stood at 1,107.
The number of daily cases in Austria peaked at over 15,000 last week. At its previous peak it was 9,586 in November 2020, when a national lockdown was ordered.
The Netherlands also announced 21,443 new cases yesterday, Monday, after their number stabilized at record levels last week with diagnostic test facilities reaching their full potential.
About 886 cases per 100,000 inhabitants were recorded last week. This is an increase of 3% compared to the previous week, to the lowest weekly increase observed since the beginning of October.
Meanwhile, hospital admissions continue to rise in all three countries.
“Today COVID-19 is the leading cause of death in Europe and Central Asia,” said Hans Klugge, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe.
However, he added: “We have the tools to control the transmission and mitigate the impact.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Soltz are expected to meet today with the heads of state to discuss how they will react after cases of the new Omicron variant are identified in Germany.
In addition, the German Constitutional Court ruled earlier today that the Lockdown measures previously taken in the country do not violate children’s right to education or other constitutional freedoms, giving the government more freedom to take action.
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