Monday Morning News & Notes
Energy transition moving fast in Denmark. More signs of COVID rising.
🍃Environment & Energy⚡️
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The energy transition is in full swing in Denmark as fossil fuel consumption is plummeting while renewable energies are on the rise. Overall, energy use in Denmark dropped by 3.6% in the first half of the year. Coal-fired energy use dropped like a rock, down 26..1% in the first six months of the year. Natural gas use also took a hefty 15.4% hit. Conversely, bio-gas use jumped by 29.1%.
While total wind power production dipped by 2.2% solar energy is seeing some major growth across the country as production rocketed up by 61.9%. The Danish Energy Agency attributes this to more solar farms coming online and an overall increase in the amount of daily sunshine. Earlier this year the Danish Weather Service noted the fight against air pollution and the move to clean energy has actually resulted in a drastic drop in particulate matter in the air, resulting in more sunshine.
Some other quick numbers worth mentioning. Electricity imports doubled in the first half of the year but overall consumption fell by 3.2%. While fossil fuel use was down almost across the board, petrol went in the opposite direction, increasing by 1.5%.
🇪🇺
Parts of Europe were buffeted by severe weather over the weekend. This included strong winds, torrential rains, and even rock slides in a swath of Europe from Spain through France and into Switzerland and Germany.
Scottish Meteorologist Scott Duncan said the reason was the jet stream “digging aggressively” into Southern Europe, which drove severe weather events across the EU.
🇬🇷
Firefighters in Greece continue to battle wildfires in the country’s northeast. The fires have been raging for nine days now and there is no indication the situation will improve, in fact, it might get worse. With the fires burning out of control, the weather forecast is calling for stronger winds, which could fan the flames even further. So far the flames have claimed 74,000 hectares of land and are responsible for a number of deaths. The European Union is calling it the biggest wildfire in EU history.
🦠COVID🦠
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The Statens Serum Institute confirmed a fourth BA.2.86 variant infection on Friday. The agency added that from 86 sequenced wastewater surveillance samples taken from around the country evidence shows that the concerning new variant is circulating in Denmark albeit “at a low level.”
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The Statens Serum Institute has launched a two-year study investigating if better indoor air quality in schools can reduce the risk of respiratory infections, including COVID. The pilot project will involve a number of schools in Denmark. The institute will test several different options from regular ventilation to more advanced air purification and filtration options while also monitoring infection numbers as they go.
SSI Director Henrik Ullum:
“The project can give us important knowledge about how respiratory diseases can be prevented in the future. It is possible that with relatively simple air quality improvements we can prevent infection spread in places where many people are gathered indoors. But before we as a society take on the investments that air purification requires, we should collect data on the effects.”
The project is being funded by a five million kroner donation (a shade under $1 million Cdn) from Realdania, a Danish non-profit philanthropic association.
Project Manager Anne Gade Iversen:
“As we know far too many schools in Denmark have poor indoor air quality, this deserves extra attention. The project can thus contribute new, valuable knowledge about the importance of air quality and its impact on preventing infection spread in classrooms.”
If successful, the two-year pilot project will transition directly into a larger project to tackle air quality improvements in schools across the country.
Along with the SSI, a number of Danish universities and technical institutes are taking part in the project.
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A Danish study found that since COVID restrictions were lifted last year there has been a major increase in the number of children that required the use of a chest tube to treat pneumonia caused by Group A streptococcus (GAS). Denmark was among a number of countries across Europe that saw an unusually high number of streptococcus-related infections after lifting restrictions.
According to the study in the last year, there have been 176 kids under 17 who had to have a chest tube inserted to treat GAS-related pneumonia. This compares to an average of 26 children under the age of 13 who had to be intubated each year in the last three previous decades.
“This increase possibly reflected a high circulation of GAS in a susceptible population following COVID mitigation measures. In addition, a resurgence of viral infections predisposing to bacterial pneumonia in 2022–2023, for example, influenza and varicella, may have influenced the high incidence.”
While the number of cases rose dramatically, the study notes that mortality rates remained static as there was no associated increase in infection severity.
🇸🇪
Sweden will begin its next round of COVID vaccinations at the end of October. The Swedish Public Health Agency announced on Friday that XBB variant-specific booster doses will arrive in October. Vulnerable seniors will get first crack at getting inoculated at the end of the month. On November 7 other eligible groups will be able to begin getting their top-up vaccinations. The agency cautions there may be some variations on the timing across the country. It says next month it will reveal which groups will be eligible for another booster dose.
As has become the norm over the last two years COVID booster doses will be given alongside influenza vaccinations for those eligible for both shots. The health agency says it chose the late fall to do both vaccinations “to create the best possible immunity before the period when the virus is expected to circulate the most.”
Deputy Unit Head Johanna Rubin:
“COVID and influenza can cause serious infections for many people over 65 and people in high-risk groups. For them, it is important to strengthen their protection through vaccination. Our recommendation is to get vaccinated with the updated COVID vaccines before the winter months to get the best possible protection.”
Sweden’s Public Health Agency says with summer vacations over and the beginning of a new school year infection numbers have increased in recent weeks albeit from “a comparatively low level.”
The agency says at the moment XBB COVID strains are dominant in Sweden. Newly formulated booster doses targeting XBB variants should offer strong protection. But if any of the new variants popping out of the woodwork become dominant how effective will the new booster doses be? BA.2.86, for example, has more than 30 different mutations as scientists note the virus hasn’t made an evolutionary jump like that since it went from Delta to Omicron in the fall of 2021.
🌍 🦠
The World Health Organization is warning that there is a surge in COVID infections across countries in the Northern Hemisphere. The rising numbers including increasing hospitalizations, are a cause for concern among health authorities because it is happening before the fall and winter months when respiratory infections tend to arrive in force. The global health agency says Europe in particular is seeing rising numbers.
In a press conference on Friday, the WHO again begged countries to strengthen their COVID testing, sequencing, and wastewater surveillance instead of dismantling those systems entirely.
WHO COVID Technical Lead Maria Van Kerkhove:
“The virus right now is reinfecting a large number of individuals, millions of people, each week. We don’t have a good gauge on how many reinfections or infections there actually are because surveillance has declined. But we do have some indications on trends of impact.”
Kerkhove says pretending coronavirus has gone away isn’t doing anything to prevent infection spread, hospitalizations, and more and more lives lost.
“Northern Hemisphere regions where we are in our summer period and that is not expected when you are thinking of a respiratory pathogen like influenza that typically peaks in the winter months. Globally, there are large numbers of coronavirus infections and re-infections each week, with hundreds of thousands estimated in hospital, thousands dying, and many suffering from long-COVID. Governments cannot drop the ball, they must remain vigilant.”
🏴
Hundreds of hospital wards in Scotland have been forced to close in the first seven months of this year due to COVID outbreaks. An investigation by the Scottish newspaper The Herald found 237 wards have been closed to new admissions directly because of COVID outbreaks. It adds that the number is underreported because several health authorities haven’t responded to its queries.
Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Toni Ho spoke to the newspaper:
“A lot of people focus on disease severity, that most people in hospital with COVID aren't that sick anymore, and that's true. We're not seeing the disease severity we were seeing in 2020 or 2021, but it doesn't mean that COVID isn't still causing enormous problems. Although people aren't getting as sick, it's still really disrupting a very burdened National Health Service. We still need to isolate those patients. Given the backlog of people we have waiting for treatment and the challenges we have in social care, getting patients back out of hospital, closing all these wards across the country is really problematic."
This comes as the NHS prepares to “substantially reduce’ COVID testing beginning this Wednesday.
🇺🇸
COVID-related emergency room visits by adolescents across the United States have nearly doubled in the last week according to the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The problem is especially acute in the South-East part of the country. The rate of ER visits by coronavirus-infected children 12 to 15 years old is now higher than almost every other age group except the very youngest and oldest Americans.
A number of hospitals in the United States are reintroducing mask requirements and schools all over the country have been forced to close their doors to try and curb infection spread.
According to the CDC close to ten million Americans are now living in communities deemed to be at ‘medium’ coronavirus infection levels.
🌍 🦠
A new study has determined that the chance of dying from a COVID Omicron variant infection was four times higher than for influenza. The study focused on France, comparing the death rates from the 2014/15 and 2018/19 influenza seasons to the period of time Omicron arrived and became dominant at the end of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023.
The study found there was an annual average of 15,654 deaths during the two influenza seasons. This compared to 32,607 deaths either directly or indirectly tied to COVID during the Omicron period. The study notes that pandemic deaths were even likely underreported.
Study authors found that flu shot uptake among nursing home staff in France was quite low despite vaccination being proven to reduce fatalities, especially among vulnerable care home residents. They recommend finding ways to really improve influenza vaccination uptake as well as improving coronavirus surveillance and detection, especially among high-risk and vulnerable populations.
The study can be found HERE.
🇺🇦/ 🇷🇺 War
🇫🇮 🇺🇦
Finland is sending its 18th weapons package to Ukraine. The Finnish Ministry of Defense values the shipment at an estimated €94 million (about $137 million Cdn). As is Finland’s custom it is not revealing any specifics about the package, what is in it, or when it might arrive.
Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen:
“The support of Finland and our allies to Ukraine remains unwavering. The core issue in terms of the future security order in Europe and in Finland is to be able to curb Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”
🇫🇮 🇷🇺 🇺🇦
Police in Finland have arrested a man linked to the infamous Wagner Russian private militia group. Reports have identified him as Yan Petrovsky, a founding member of Rusich, a neo-Nazi Wagner sub-group. Petrovsky has been fighting for Russia in Ukraine since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. He has been under both EU and United States sanctions. Considering the EU sanctions and the fact he was banned from entering Finland it also raises questions about how he was able to get into the country.
Ukraine has requested his extradition to face charges for crimes against that country. The matter is now before the Finnish courts.
🇩🇰
The Danish government is proposing legislation that would make it a crime to burn an object of religious significance in public. This is of course aimed at a spate of demonstrations in both Sweden and Finland where people have publicly burned the Muslim holy book The Koran. The incidents have caused outrage against the two Nordic countries across the Muslim world.
Denmark’s Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard says the proposed legislation would update sections of the criminal code, which would then include a penalty of a hefty fine or up to two years in prison for burning a religious object of significance in public. In a press conference over the weekend, Hummelgaard stressed that freedom of expression remains a crucial value.
“It is a cornerstone of our democracy that you have the right to express yourself. This must continue to be the case in Denmark. But you also have to behave properly. When at the same time it can have significant negative foreign policy and security consequences for Denmark, a responsible government cannot just stand with its hands in its pockets and watch.”
PET, Denmark’s national security and intelligence agency, says that due to the Koran burnings the terrorist threat level in Denmark has “intensified.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said that the people behind the Koran burnings, are doing so specifically to create outrage and cause divisions.
The Justice Minister emphasized the proposed change to the law would include any object of religious significance and not just the Koran specifically. As an example, he said burning other religious objects like the Bible would also be included.
🇩🇰The Week Ahead Round Up🇩🇰
Monday, August 28
The Odense International Film Festival begins today. The festival generally focuses on short films but attendees can also find other fare to feast their eyes on. It runs until September 3 at various locations around the city.
More information HERE.
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Tuesday, August 29
On the political, side the Danish government will release its first ‘Circulatory Gap Report.’ It assesses Denmark’s total resource consumption and the impact that consumption has on CO2 emissions.
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For football fans, the Danish squad that will compete in EURO 2024 qualifiers will be announced on Tuesday. The players chosen will have games against Finland and San Marino coming up. The press conference will take place at one o’clock local time in Brøndby.
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Speaking of football FC København will play a second playoff match in the Champions League qualifiers. Their opponent will be Polish Raków. The game takes place at Parken in Copenhagen. The overall winner of the two games will secure a berth in the Champions League group stage.
Game time is 9 pm. You can buy tickets HERE.
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Thursday, August 31
Inspired by the annual Folkemødet on the Danish island of Bornholm another ‘people’s meeting’ will take place but this time in Middelfart. The theme of this exercise in up close and personal democracy is ‘climate action.’ Politicians of all stripes will join business organizations, other stakeholders, and regular people in a number of discussions and debates about various climate-related topics.
The climate folkemødet begins Thursday and runs until September 2.
You can find more information HERE.
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Hvide Sande on Denmark’s west coast will host the international aquatic sporting event ‘Waterz’ beginning Thursday. The 10-day sporting event will feature competitions across a number of water sports like windsurfing, kitesurfing, wakeboarding, SUP boarding, kayaking, and more.
The event dovetails into the GWA Wingfoil World Cup which Denmark is hosting beginning September 3 also in Hvide Sande.
More information HERE.
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Friday, September 1
Attention foodies. The Food Festival will take place in Aarhus beginning on Friday. Denmark’s largest food festival will include some 250 food and beverage companies, producers, and eateries all tabling a dizzying array of delicious food and drink experiences. The event also features a prestigious hot dog championship where high-end restaurants, chefs, and sausage enthusiasts compete for the best dog and the title that goes with it.
The event takes place at Tangkrogen, Marselisborg Havnevej 1 from September 1st to the 3rd.
You can find out more about the event HERE.
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This Friday and Saturday the Midtfyns Festival will take place in Ringe at Dyrskuepladsen. The event is all about creating a sense of togetherness, being present, and enjoying each other's company. Play board games or cards, enjoy a beer and soak up the music by the 18 or so of the artists that will be performing live.
You can find out more HERE.
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Northern Europe’s largest kite festival begins Friday on the Danish island of Rømø in Southern Jutland. This popular event attracts kite lovers from around the world and can see up to 50,000 visitors per day. If you want to be surrounded by thousands of colourful kites then this event is for you. It takes place at Lakolk Strand and ends on Sunday.
You can find out more HERE.
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Denmark’s Outdoor Festival takes place in Silkeborg beginning on Friday and ending Sunday. The festival is all about getting in touch with nature. Through various activities, attendees will experience how outdoor activities can inspire a focus on health and well-being. It offers everything an outdoor enthusiast could want.
Learn more HERE.
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Saturday, September 2
If physical outdoor challenges are your thing the YETI Adventure Challenge also takes place in Silkeborg on Saturday. You can sign in or register on Friday, September 1. This is Denmark’s largest outdoor event and is attended by some of the world’s leading adventure racers. Competitors will go through numerous challenges, including mountain biking, canoeing, climbing, swimming, kayaking, and rafting.
Find out more HERE.