Zurich, Paris, Madrid, Stockholm Despite record high numbers of infections, some European countries such as Denmark or France are already loosening their corona measures again. Other countries such as Spain or Switzerland are sticking to their rather loose measures – and are preparing for an endemic development of the pandemic soon. This is justified with the milder course after an omicron infection and partly with the peak of the most recent wave of infection.
The Netherlands are also planning a cautious reopening after a comprehensive lockdown. According to media reports, shops and universities are to reopen with restrictions, although the country registers more than 30,000 new infections per day.
In Denmark, museums, amusement parks, zoos and other public facilities will be allowed to reopen from next Sunday, subject to several corona restrictions. In cinemas and theaters, there is a maximum visitor limit of 500 people. Some facilities require visitors to show they are vaccinated, have recovered, or have a negative test. Discotheques and clubs remain closed.
Denmark’s Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke justified the relaxation with a slow flattening of the infection curve. “Many countries are introducing new restrictions. We have a situation where that is not necessary, ”he explained. In fact, the number of new infections has decreased slightly in the past few days. But the seven-day incidence is still more than 2360, with 20,000 new infections counted every day.
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The intensive care units are not overcrowded in Denmark and Spain
According to the State Serum Institute (SSI), the omicron variant now accounts for around 96 percent of all new infections. The intensive care units of the hospitals are not overcrowded, according to the health minister.
To keep it that way, he also announced that he would offer a fourth vaccination to vulnerable population groups. In Denmark, 80.5 percent of the population has now been vaccinated twice, and more than half have received a booster vaccination.
Only a few people are out and about in The Hague. So far there has been a lockdown there, but now the government is planning to relax it – despite high incidences.
(Photo: action press)
When it comes to vaccination rates, the country benefits in particular from the digitization of the healthcare system. A vaccination register makes it possible to target people and offer them a vaccination.
Public life is also possible with almost no restrictions in large parts of Spain, although Omikron is causing the number of cases to explode there. The incidence is 1478 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The proportion of those who end up in hospital in the current sixth wave is significantly lower.
But the sheer number of infected people ensures that the hospitals are constantly filling. 14 percent of the beds are occupied by Covid patients, in the intensive care units it is 24 percent.
Nevertheless, in large parts of the country, the only restriction is a mask requirement, which has been in place outdoors again since the turn of the year. In addition, the occupancy rate in sports stadiums across the country has been limited to 75 percent outdoors and 50 percent indoors.
Schools will remain open like last year. Reduced the quarantine period for asymptomatic infected people from 10 to 7 days. An additional test is not necessary at the end.
However, several autonomous regions have adopted additional measures, ranging from a 2G rule to the closure of clubs and discos and night curfews. In the particularly populous Madrid, on the other hand, only the mask requirement applies.
Full cafes despite 360,000 new infections a day in France
In France there were more than 360,000 documented new infections per day, the real numbers are estimated to be higher. In Paris, the incidence is over 4000, in France over 2800. Nevertheless, the cafés and restaurants are full, as are the theaters and cinemas. The French live with omicron.
There has even been some recent easing. Contact persons who are fully vaccinated no longer have to be in quarantine since the beginning of January. Those who are not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated must remain in quarantine for seven days. The reason for this easing is the French government’s fear of illness-related absences in important areas of life.
The schools were also relaxed. Classes no longer have to be closed, even if there are several Covid cases. The situation should be controlled with self-tests. Parents and teachers criticize this and called for a nationwide strike in schools on Thursday.
However, France plans that in the future only fully vaccinated or recovered people should have access to long-distance trains, planes, cultural sites and restaurants. So far, this was still possible with a negative test.
This should apply from a limit of 10,000 Covid patients in hospitals, currently there are 24,000. The relevant law has not yet been finally passed.
Only five days quarantine for infected people in Switzerland
Despite the record high number of infections, Switzerland is also sticking to the lax corona measures compared to neighboring countries. The government recently imposed a home office requirement. Visiting public facilities such as restaurants, bars or museums is also reserved for those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered.
These measures were recently extended until the end of March. Stricter requirements to combat the pandemic are not an issue for the time being.
In addition, the Swiss federal government has reduced the quarantine requirement to five days in the event of infection. Prime Minister Ignazio Cassis said: “We cannot stop the virus from spreading. What we are doing is putting the brakes on it.” The aim is to have the necessary means to care for all the sick.
Despite a seven-day incidence of 2,000, no overload of the health system is currently foreseeable. The rate of hospitalization is half lower than in autumn 2020. The number of patients who died from or with corona is currently on the decline.
However, there are regional bottlenecks: The canton of Graubünden has asked trained nurses who no longer work in their profession to report. They are intended to help maintain health care if nurses fail en masse because of the Omicron variant. The Swiss federal government also reserves the right to take stricter measures if the situation in the hospitals changes.
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