Restrictions for most Freedoms for some
Sweden tries to cut off a possible third COVID wave.
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As infections head back up Sweden is attempting to put the brakes on a feared third COVID wave. A day removed from several Swedish regions introducing their own recommendations on mask use, and for people to avoid shops, public transit, and ultimately each other, new national measures have been introduced.
As of Monday all restaurants, bars, and cafes in Sweden must close at 8:30pm whether they sell alcohol or not. Sweden has also moved to limit the number of people who can be inside shops, galleries, and gyms.
While most restrictions across the country tighten, restrictions will be eased for care home residents as the majority of seniors in those facilities are now vaccinated against COVID. Details on how restrictions for care home residents will be relaxed are expected to come tomorrow according to the daily Dagens Nyheter.
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Sweden has added 5,371 infections and suffered another 80 corona deaths since yesterday’s update as its infection numbers march back upward.
To date 437,699 1st dose (5.3% of population) and 225,341 2nd vaccines doses (2.7% of population) have been administered.
Swedish health officials say the country’s vaccination effort remains on track even after news that AstraZeneca will deliver fewer vaccine doses to the European Union than initially promised. Sweden's vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström says they are still trying to determine how much of a shortfall AstraZeneca will leave them with.
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Denmark has extended COVID related border restrictions until April 5th to match the extension of lockdown restrictions announced earlier today, minus some in the three regions beginning a gradual reopening next week.
The number of corona patients in Denmark’s hospitals has fallen to a point where patient rights for rapid assessment and treatment will be reintroduced next week. To date there are about 12% of medical beds and 15% of ICU beds in use for COVID patients. Health officials says it will take some time to get regular hospital operations back to normal.
Despite a gradual phasing out of corona restrictions beginning next week and continuing through to Easter, the Director of the National Board of Health Søren Brostrøm says social distancing and keeping a small social bubble remains in place. He says COVID remains a real and present danger, and until vaccinations reach a tipping point, keeping social bubbles limited to family and a few friends helps protect against infection.
Today Danish Statsminister Mette Frederiksen invited the other political parties to begin negotiations to determine the next steps in phasing out lockdown restrictions.
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Denmark is reporting 523 COVID infections and two coronavirus deaths in the last 24 hours.
COVID hospitalizations (238) dropped (-9) ICU (47) and ventilator (28) have inched down (both -1).
Yesterday 143,149 corona tests were done for a positivity percentage of 0.37%.
On the vaccination front to date 348,333 1st dose vaccinations (6% of pop) and 178,433 2nd dose vaccinations (3.1% of pop) have been administered.
Region Southern Denmark is having technical issues with its vaccination booking system. They are working to solve the issue so if you are trying to book an appointment hang tight.
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Finland has registered 590 new infections and another three corona deaths since yesterday’s update.
COVID hospitalizations (158) are up (+6) ICU numbers (35) also crept up (+1).
To date 302,149 1st dose and 75,020 2nd vaccine doses have been administered.
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Norway has added 455 infections and suffered another 12 corona deaths.
COVID hospitalizations (95) are up (+3) while those on a ventilator (20) are unchanged.
To date 298,742 1st dose (5.57% of pop) and 104,343 2nd vaccine doses (1.94% of pop) have been administered.
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The COVID numbers keep dropping in the U.K. as it registered 8,489 new infections and 548 virus deaths yesterday.
Rate of positive tests, fatalities, and hospitalizations continue to trend down.
Almost 18-million 1st vaccine doses have been administered while 642,788 people have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
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In Europe, the Czech Republic reported 11,391 new infections and another 148 corona deaths yesterday as its latest outbreak worsens and ICU capacity gets closer to maxing out. There are four days left in a COVID state of emergency declared in the country on February 14th.
Spain continues to wrestle down its infection curve.
Portugal appears to be exiting its latest corona outbreak wave.
Greece remains a concern as infections shot up yesterday.
COVID infections in Italy are slowly creeping up.
According to the Associated Press health officials in Austria are going to try and test everyone in one of the country’s ski towns after a cluster of South African variant infections popped up.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said today the one shot Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine provides strong protection against severe impacts and death from the coronavirus. It says the vaccine may also reduce the spread of the virus by anyone who has been vaccinated. Today the vaccine was approved for use in the United States.
AstraZeneca expects to deliver less than half of contracted second-quarter vaccines to the E.U. AstraZeneca says it is working to fulfill 100% of original EU order. “AstraZeneca is working to increase productivity in its EU supply chain and to continue to make use of its global capability in order to achieve delivery of 180 million doses to the EU in the second quarter."
The European Medicines Agency has started a rolling review of regdanvimab, a monoclonal antibody developed by Celltrion for the treatment of COVID. The rolling review will continue until enough evidence is available to support a formal marketing authorization application.