Denmark: Authorities tighten COVID-19 restrictions in multiple municipalities September 9 /update 14

Event

On Monday, September 7, the Danish government announced a tightening of restrictions to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in eighteen municipalities across the country, with the measures coming into effect on Wednesday, September 9. They include a reduction in the number of people allowed to gather to 50 down from 100. Bars, cafes, and restaurants will also have to close at midnight (local time), having previously been allowed to stay open till 02:00. The restrictions apply in Copenhagen and Odense, as well as 16 municipalities in or bordering greater Copenhagen: Frederiksberg, Tarnby, Dragor, Hvidovre, Bronby, Vallensaek, Ishoj, Rodovre, Glostrup, Albertslund, Hoje-Taastrup, Gentofte, Gladsaxe, Ballerup, Herlev, and Lyngby-Taarbaekas. Over 1000 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded over the past week, the highest number since the peak of the outbreak in the spring.

For the purpose of foreign travel, Demark has classified foreign countries as either 'open' or 'banned'. Persons resident in 'open' countries are free to enter Denmark for any purpose. Those resident in 'banned' countries or provinces can only enter Denmark for essential purposes, which include work, study, and family reasons. As a rule, countries outside the EU, Schengen Area, and the United Kingdom are defined as banned countries unless included on the exemption list. The list of countries open or banned is updated every Thursday by the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) and can be found here.

As of Thursday, September 10, there have been 18,607 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Denmark with 628 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is to be 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: