Denmark plans for a big test of its vaccination capacity

Infections rise amongst the youngest

🇩🇰

Several weeks ago Denmark’s Statsminister said in a press conference the country had the capacity to administer 100,000 vaccinations per day but lacked the vaccine doses. On Facebook today Mette Frederiksen said they will try and walk the talk. This Friday there will be a “large-scale” trial to vaccinate as many people as possible in one day.

“So we make sure that we are ready for the period when we have to vaccinate more than 100,000 Danes daily.”

Denmark has already announced plans to offer vaccination contracts to tender with the private sector to quadruple vaccination capacity to 400,000 a day.

——

Figures from Denmark’s Staten Serum Institut seem to indicate two interesting infection trends, one hopeful the other concerning.

New infections over the last seven days show rising coronavirus cases among the two youngest age groups 0 to 9 and 10 to 19 years old. Potentially this could be an indicator of the infection impact of young children in grades 0 though 4 returning to school two weeks ago.

The other more positive indicator is the steadily falling infection numbers each week for all age groups over 60 years old. This is very likely the first tangible impact of corona vaccinations, which have been administered to older people in far greater numbers than any other age group.

——

Denmark is reporting 450 COVID infections and five coronavirus deaths in the last 24 hours.

Since Friday’s update it has added 1,410 COVID infections (464 Saturday, 496 Sunday, and today) as well as a total of 16 deaths.

Yesterday 106,113 corona PCR tests were administered not counting thousands of lightning tests from the private contractors. The positivity percentage over the last day is 0.42%.

COVID hospitalizations (254) have inched up for the first time in a while (+6) ICU numbers (51) and those on a ventilator (36) are down (both -2).

——

On the vaccination front to date there have been 320,905 1st doses (5.2% of pop) and 175,555 2nd vaccine doses (2.9% of pop) administered.

Officials in Odense are worried they may be the next COVID hot spot. Its infection numbers over the last five days have been strikingly similar to the curve seen in Kolding last week. This week Kolding leads the country with its infection rate and has had its schools and daycares closed as the U.K. variant pushes numbers up.

🇸🇪

Sweden won’t update its corona numbers until tomorrow but evidence is mounting the U.K. variant is spreading there.

In Gävleborg, a municipality just north of Stockholm, the U.K. variant is behind an infections surge prompting stricter recommendations. As of tomorrow, anyone born in or before 2004 (17 years and older) must wear a mask on public transit and indoors when in close proximity to others. People should also maintain social distancing and avoid meeting with others.

The variant made up 47% of corona infections in week seven. The municipality also says hospitalizations have stopped declining.

🇫🇮

Finland has registered 390 infections and seven more virus deaths in the last day.

Since Friday it has had 1,479 infections (632 on Saturday, 457 on Sunday, and today).

COVID hospitalizations (140) have increased (+23) ICU numbers (30) are also up (+6).

To date there have been 282,545 1st dose (roughly 5.12% of pop) and 73,189 2nd dose (roughly 1.32% of pop) vaccinations administered.

In the Metro Helsinki region people 55 to 64 years of age with illnesses or conditions making them a higher infection risk will begin to be vaccinated this week.

Corona variants continue to spread in Finland with 556 confirmed variant infections to date. The lion’s share, 530, are the U.K. variant with 25 cases of the South African variant and one confirmed case of the Brazilian P1 variant.

🇮🇸

Norway has added 678 infections and one more coronavirus death since Friday.

COVID hospitalizations (93) are up (+7) while those on a ventilator (20) also inched up (+3).

To date 290,321 1st dose (5.41% of pop) and 98,883 2nd vaccine doses (1.84% of pop) have been administered.

The number of corona variants in Norway has grown to 821 with the U.K. variant again being the most prolific.

United Kingdom

The U.K. saw 9,834 new infections and another 215 corona deaths yesterday. The rate of positive tests, fatalities, and hospitalizations continue to trend down.

1st dose COVID vaccinations now surpass 17-million while 2nd doses administered now exceed 600,000.

Total to date virus deaths now exceed 120,000, the fifth highest in the world.

Today British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a plan to not only lift corona restrictions but lift them for good. Johnson says as of March schools will reopen. On April 12th Shops, hairdressers, and other businesses can open their doors again. Most social contact rules will be lifted on May 17th. On June 21st Johnson says Great Britain will lift all remaining restrictions for good.

Europe

France had the most new infections among E.U. countries yesterday with 22,046 while suffering another 159 virus deaths. A lockdown has been imposed along the French Riviera, including in Nice where infections are described as being out of control. The lockdown will only be in force for the next two weekends. As of Friday afternoon shops will be closed and people can only leave their home for one hour a day and must stay within a five kilometer radius if their homes until the lockdown lifts on Monday morning.

Elsewhere in the European Union, the eastern countries of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, and Slovakia remain an emerging COVID concern. Infections are trending back up in the Czech Republic and Hungary while Austria and Slovakia are threatening to follow suit.