Monday Morning News & Notes
Denmark calls in Baltic naval muscle. COVID cases climb in Europe
🇺🇦/ 🇷🇺 War
🇱🇻/ 🇺🇦 🇷🇺
Latvia continues to take a hard line on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister Edgar Rinkēvičh is expecting the war in Ukraine to continue for some time. He is urging allied nations to continue to get as much weapons and military equipment as possible in the battle against the Russian invasion.
“Our main task is to destroy Russia as much as possible, militarily and economically.”
🇩🇰/ 🌏🇺🇦🇷🇺
Denmark has taken the initiative to gather a number of countries together with the mandate to “to ensure accountability for violations against international law and human rights following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.” Albania, Colombia, the Netherlands, and Ukraine launched what is called a ‘Group of Friends of Accountability’ and in just one week the group has swelled to 45 countries in all.
Danish Foreign Affairs Minister Jeppe Kofod says Denmark has also contributed $100,000 in US dollars to a new fund established by the International Criminal Court. Kofod says the donation will help fund an investigation into serious international crimes committed by Russia.
“Denmark condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s war against Ukraine. It is vital to ensure accountability for any crimes committed. Therefore, it is essential to gather and secure evidence for future prosecutions. That is why the Danish government has just decided to make an extraordinary contribution to the International Criminal Court. And with this new global platform for accountability, Denmark plays a leading role in ensuring international focus and continued broad support for this important cause.”
The ‘Group of Friends’ will also coordinate together to build international support to document and prosecute war crimes committed by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
🇩🇰 🇺🇦
Danish officials are scrambling on a number of fronts to accommodate Ukrainian refugees, as the government announced on Friday they are now expecting more than 100,000 people fleeing the war-torn country to arrive in Denmark.
Among the many challenges will where to house them all. Foreign and Integration Minister Mattias Tesfaye says all options are on the table including what he called “alternative ways” to provide shelter for the refugees.
“We can not from one day to the next provide a permanent home. So we have to reach out to agencies who are used to accommodating people outside the normal housing system.”
One of the “alternative ways” is to re-use the tents that housed Syrian refugees that arrived in Denmark back in 2015 and 2016. Albeit with the goal of making those temporary housing.
Holstebro Municipality, Asylcenter Vesthimmerland, and Region Midtjylland have reached an agreement to use a closed hospital in Holstebro as an asylum center. The hospital building can accommodate 300 Ukrainian refugees at first, with capacity increasing over the following months.
The other major challenge is how to pay for all of this. The Danish government has reached into a development aid account for DKK 2-billion already. Opposition parties are already decrying the use of the fund as a piggy bank calling it unsustainable and potentially catastrophic if it continues.
-
The Danish National Health Board has updated its guidelines for long-term temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees. The rules meant for municipalities, regions, humanitarian organizations, and other authorities set the rules for building conditions, health, safety, and hygiene requirements.
Section Leader Line Raahauge:
“When many people have to gather at a temporary residence, there are some conditions that must be in order, for example the condition of toilet and bathing facilities and bedrooms. That is why we have updated the information for municipalities so that they know what they need to have ready when refugees from Ukraine arrive in Denmark.”
The health board is also working to have a pamphlet translates into Ukrainian so refugees can understand the guidelines as well.
-
Region Nordjylland has sent a shipment of medical supplies to Ukraine. It gathered two pallets worth of bandages, gauze, syringes, and much more for the war-battered country. The supplies are en route to Ukraine.
“We cross our fingers that our small contribution can make a difference.”
🇩🇰/ 🇷🇺
The Danish naval frigate ‘Esbern Snare’ has arrived at the island of Bornholm after being recalled from its mission hunting for pirates off of the west coast of Africa. Bornholm is the closest Danish territory to Russia and the frigate has been tasked with patrolling the Baltic to fly the Danish flag and send a strong message to temper any Russian aggression.
🇩🇰/ 🇺🇦 🇷🇺 🚙
Use your bike, take a bus, or get on a train. That is the message from Denmark’s Transportation Minister Trine Bramsen as the price of gasoline jumped upward. Bramsen says so far this year the price of gas has risen by about 16%. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the price of gas in Denmark has increased by 2.2 kroner per liter.
Bramsen emphasizes that while the price at the pump soars, the cost of a bus or train ticket has remained the same.
“Price increases for gas and diesel can be felt in the budgets of many motorists. On short trips, or where it is possible, take a bicycle or public transport instead of the car. The current situation could be a good opportunity to try alternative means of transport. Public transport prices have not risen in line with gas or diesel and this makes economic savings greater than ever before. At the same time, it is both greener and with the bike also healthier.”
The Transportation Ministry uses the example of commuting between Roskilde and Copenhagen, noting an estimated additional cost of 200 kroner per month, or 2,400 kroner in a year, to drive a car. Bramsen says, especially for short trips, the savings of leaving your car at home and using public transportation can add up to a significant amount.
🇫🇮/ 🇷🇺
Finland has suspended all freight train traffic to and from Russia citing the numerous sanctions placed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
VR Transpoint SVP Martti Koskinen via a statement to YLE:
“The continuation of freight traffic between Russia and Finland is no longer possible because of the sanctions imposed on Russian Railways (RZD). VR Group is obliged to comply with the sanctions imposed by the Western countries,.”
It isn’t just freight either as passenger train traffic between Helsinki and Finland will be suspended as of today. VR says its last few rail departures are almost sold out. The rail company said it has been asked by Finnish authorities to keep the rail route active in the last few weeks to give Finnish citizens in Russia an avenue out of the country.
🇫🇮/ NATO
As public opinion in Finland swings overwhelmingly in favour of joining NATO, the country’s President is adding more fuel to the fire. In an interview with YLE, Sauli Niinistö, admitted that joining NATO would ratchet up tensions with Russia and possibly lead to “various types” of retaliation. But Niinistö then added the benefits of joining NATO would likely outweigh the risks. He said in particular becoming a part of the military alliance would “gain a preventative effect” and absolutely increase Finland’s security.
“Sufficient security is where Finns can feel that there is no emergency and there won't be one.”
That said, Niinistö, emphasizes that it is up to parliament to decide one way or another on joining NATO.
“And that it is crucial that political decision-makers and the public be aware of the various possible consequences of joining the military alliance.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenburg said last week that should Finland decide to join the alliance, the door would be wide open and the process to admit the country would be swift.
🦠Pandemic🦠
🇩🇰
As COVID cases fall, influenza infections are rising rapidly. The Danish National Health Board is reminding people that we already know what works to seriously curb infection spread. It notes keeping up some of the good hygiene habits we have made part of our daily routine during infection waves helped keep influenza rates down.
Unit Manager Bolette Søborg says with virtually no COVID restrictions and life returning to near-normal, it is no surprise to see influenza come roaring back.
“It is not unexpected that flu activity is flaring up after two years of very mild flu seasons. However, the fact that flu season comes later than usual and into the spring means that as we move more outside the chains of infection are more easily broken.”
The hearth board is counting on the seasonal effect to help temper influenza-related hospitalizations in the weeks ahead.
The agency is encouraging people to stick with the basics. Maintain good hand washing habits, use hand sanitizer, clean commonly touched surfaces, cough or sneeze into your elbow, stay home if you are sick, and keep indoor spaces well ventilated.
Over the last five weeks, influenza rates in Denmark have doubled each week.
-
In Denmark, COVID hospitalizations (1,182) nudged upward (+23) while the number of severe infection cases in an ICU (25) was unchanged and of those the number on a ventilator (6) crept upward (+1).
Below are new hospital admissions over the last seven days by age and vaccination status.
-
Denmark lost another 67 lives to the coronavirus (as counted as a death within 30 days of a positive test) and added 13,335 COVID infections (underreported) over the weekend.
On Saturday, there were 16,970 PCR tests taken equaling a positivity percentage of 19.79%. Below are positive test results by age over the last seven days.
-
That is all she wrote for the Smitte/Stop COVID reporting app. Health Minister Magnus Heunicke says the COVID epidemic has declined to such a point that the app no longer serves a useful purpose.
“The positive developments in the pandemic means we can now start shutting down the infection stop app. Since 2020, it has been a digital supplement in infection detection. The app is now updated so that you can no longer report the infection, and you are no longer notified that you have been close to an infected person. If you do not update the app, the app will become inactive on March 31.”
The app will be decommissioned on March 31, with all its data deleted according to the health ministry. People can also delete the local data from the app themselves and if they don’t it will be automatically wiped within 14 days.
The ministry says the app was downloaded 2.5 million times with over 500,000 people reporting a positive test result in the app. It says a “contingency version” of the app will remain available in case the pandemic comes roaring back.
-
On the vaccination front, there were a mere 665 booster doses administered on Saturday as the inoculation effort continues to crawl along.
To date, 82.3% of the total population have one vaccine dose, 80.8% have two, and 61.4% have a booster shot.
-
The Danish parliament’s Epidemic Committee has summoned Health Minister Magnus Heunicke to explain to the committee what steps and initiatives the government has taken to tackle the issue of long-COVID, especially among young people. Heunicke will have to provide answers for not just what steps have been taken but what is being done now. And for what the plan is to help people suffering from long-COVID after the pandemic has ended. Heunicke will address the committee on April 1.
🇩🇰 🇸🇪 🇳🇴 🇮🇸 🇫🇮 🇪🇺
Nordic cooperation in responding to health crises could be a roadmap for best practices across the European Union. The health ministers from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and the Åland Islands met last Friday in Stavanger, Norway and they were joined by EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides. The group discussed how Nordic health co-operation can also contribute to strengthening European health emergency work.
The group signed a ministerial declaration to build on lessons learned during the COVID pandemic to strengthen Nordic co-operation on health preparedness and security of supply.
Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke says while the Nordic countries fared pretty well in dealing with the pandemic, there was also room for improvement.
“With the pandemic, we have seen the importance of international cooperation. This was particularly evident in the establishment of emergency preparedness, the rapid development of vaccines, and the donation of vaccines to low-and middle-income countries. We in the Nordic countries have done very well through the crisis, and there is great interest in those experiences abroad and especially in the EU. We must shape the European and global health agenda together with the other Nordic countries.”
In concrete terms, the Nordic nations have committed to strengthening cooperation between the Scandinavian countries. They will also use the Nordic health systems model to help strengthen European pandemic and healthcare crises preparedness.
🇸🇪
Sweden is lifting COVID entry restrictions. Beginning April 1, the Swedish Public Health Agency will abolish the entry ban on all travelers coming from outside the European Union and the broader European Economic Area. It will also lift the requirement for travelers to show proof of vaccination and the mandate for negative COVID tests to visit Sweden.
-
A healthcare worker in a Swedish hospital has been fired for going to work while having a coronavirus infection. The person took a COVID test, then went to work at a hospital in Västerbotten without knowing the result, which turned out to be positive, according to a report from Folkbladet. The region said the employee was dismissed for acting irresponsibly and in violation of workplace rules and the Communicable Diseases Act, a breach of the employment contract.
-
In Southern Sweden, last week’s national vaccination week is being called a success. Region Skåne says over 19,000 vaccinations were administered during the week with good uptake on first doses.
Vaccine Coordinator, and Assistant Infection Control Doctor, Per Hagstam:
“The result of the vaccination week and the strong push to get people vaccinated was gratifying. More people chose to get a first dose than during the two previous weeks, and in total more people were also vaccinated this week compared with the immediately preceding weeks.”
The region also noted it had considerable success using mobile vaccination sites in areas where there was a lot of people gathering.
🇳🇴
The Norwegian Institute for Public Health says there is an issue with reporting hospitalization numbers so other than new COVID admissions, we will have to wait to see the other numbers.
Norway saw 390 COVID hospitalizations last week, which is 129 fewer than the week before.
Norge added 12,670 infections since Thursday’s update and suffered no new corona deaths.
To date, 80.3% of Norwegians aged 12 years old and older have one vaccine dose, 74.7% have two, and 54% have a booster dose.
-
Influenza numbers continue to march upward in Norway. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health reports that the prevalence of seasonal flu continues to increase sharply, going from 2.3% to 5.8% in the last few weeks. The agency also notes the number of respiratory infections other than COVID and influenza are also rising. Among those, rhinovirus is seeing the most activity followed by increasing numbers of metapneumovirus cases.
Looking at respiratory infection hospital admissions numbers have been “relatively stable” over the last three weeks, with 1,549 hospitalizations. That is still well above what would be seen in a normal March. COVID infections are of course driving the numbers making up 67% of all respiratory infection-related admissions. It is followed by lower respiratory infections (26%), upper respiratory infections (5%) and influenza (2%).
🇸🇪 🇳🇴 💉
A Nordic study has found COVID vaccines pose no increased risk of complications for pregnant women. The study from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health concluded vaccination during pregnancy did not cause any increased risk for stillbirth, premature birth, nor the need for neonatal care.
Research with the Karolinska Institutet, and one of the study’s authors, Anne Örtqvist Rosin:
“The results are reassuring and can hopefully lead to an increased willingness among pregnant women to get vaccinated.”
The study included almost 160,000 pregnant women.
🇪🇺🦠
For a second straight week, COVID infection numbers continued to climb again in Europe, a worrying trend considering the major decrease in testing, which indicates the ‘real’ numbers are likely much higher. This is according to the latest assessment of the pandemic situation in the EU from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
As of March 20, the 14 day infection notification rate across Europe had increased by 9.6%. Specifically, among seniors 65 years old and older, the increase was 23%. The COVID incidence rate per 100,000 people across the EU is 1,762, an increase from the 1,608 from the week previous.
The ECDC says 15 countries reporting infection curves bending back upward compared to the week before. 19 EU nations recorded increasing coronavirus numbers among seniors 65 years old and older, and of those six countries saw record-high infection numbers among seniors. It is worth noting that testing rates would have likely remained more consistent among older people, especially for those in care or in high-risk groups.
The agency says rising COVID case numbers among the elderly are going hand in hand with increasing numbers of severe infections and climbing hospitalizations. The ECDC says 11 countries have reported worsening hospital numbers, including one with record-high ICU admissions.
While pandemic death rates dropped by 19% overall across Europe, six countries recorded climbing numbers of COVID deaths, including two with the highest numbers of fatalities of the entire pandemic. The 14 day COVID death rate was 29.6 deaths per million population, less than the 36.6 of the week before. This is the fifth week in a row overall COVID deaths have dropped across Europe.
Looking at the individual countries, the ECDC assesses four EU nations Greece, Ireland, Liechtenstein, and Malta, as being of very high COVID concern. 19 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal, as being of high concern. Seven countries, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Sweden, are designated as being a moderate concern.
On the vaccination front, 72.4% of the total European population has had two vaccine doses and 52.3% have a booster dose.
Looking at COVID variants, the agency says 99.8% of all sequenced positive test results for the last two weeks were the Omicron variant, with a mere 0.1% coming back as Delta. Looking at the sub-lineages, 66.5% of infections were the hyper-infectious BA.2 variant and 31.2% were the parent BA.1 strain.
The ECDC is forecasting that infection numbers across Europe will continue to rise for at least the next two weeks while hospitalization and fatality numbers will remain stable. It emphasizes there will be variations for individual countries.
-
The European Medicines Agency has recommended that AstraZeneca’s ‘Evusheld’ COVID prevention treatment be approved for use within the EU. AstraZeneca is a British and Swedish company and the drug will be manufactured in Sweden.
The EMA says clinical trial data showed Evusheld had an efficacy rate of 77% in reducing the risk of getting a COVID infection. The drug, given in two injections, was found to be safe and side effects were mild. The EMA notes that clinical trials predated the arrival of the Omicron variant and that the drugs efficacy against that strain is unknown.
🇨🇦
COVID infection activity is still widespread across Canada, according to the latest assessment from the Public Health Agency of Canada. It says while overall average daily case counts have leveled off, several provinces are seeing rising coronavirus numbers. The agency cites a positivity percentage over the last seven day period of 14.5% as proof that the virus is still extremely active across the country.
COVID hospitalizations continue to decline. PHAC says the average number of admissions over the last seven days was 7.4% lower than the week prior. Intensive care admissions also dropped by 15.3% week over week.
Canada saw an average of 34 pandemic deaths a day in the last week.
On the variant front:
“In several jurisdictions, the BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant is now the predominant variant. The growth rate of BA.2 internationally appears to be highest where there is a combination of low booster coverage and where BA.1 has not already driven high infection rates. While evidence suggests BA.2 is more transmissible than BA.1, BA.2 does not appear to be associated with more severe illness in vaccinated populations. However, it is still capable of causing severe disease among people without prior immunity, which underscores the importance of getting up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines.”
So far, over 81% of the total population is fully vaccinated. Over 88% of people 12 years old and older have at least one vaccine dose and 84% have two. For children 5 to 11 years old 57% have at least one dose. But 5.2 million Canadians who could get vaccinated still require one or more doses to protect themselves against severe infection, hospitalization, and death.