Denmark: Authorities halt easing of COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings August 6 /update 12

Event

Denmark halted the further easing of restrictions on limits to public gatherings on Thursday, August 6, due to a spike in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases. The country originally planned to raise the limit on public gatherings to 200 people on Saturday, August 8, as it was set to enter the fourth phase of reopening. The pause on reopening measures may also be applied to other plans that were set to take place in August, such as the reopening of night clubs and music venues. The decision comes after Denmark's health authorities advised against further easing of COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday, August 4, to maintain the epidemic under control in the country. The country's parliament and government are due to hold further discussions on the fourth phase of reopening on Wednesday, August 12. As of Thursday evening, Denmark's current limit on public gatherings is 100 people.

As of August 6, there have been 14,586 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, and 617 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures: