The Evening Report - Mar 1
Russia continues become a global pariah. Denmark scales down COVID testing
🇺🇦/🇷🇺 War
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The last shipment of weapons promised to Ukraine by Denmark has been delivered as of Tuesday afternoon to Ukrainian forces.
Minister of Defense Morten Bødskov spoke at a press conference:
“It was both a quick and impressive effort. To those who have helped: your efforts mean a lot. You make Denmark proud.”
In all, Denmark sent 2,700 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.
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On Tuesday, Danish officials announced a shipment of medicines and medical equipment would be sent to Ukraine. 50 million Danish kroner has been set aside for the purchase of specific drugs and medical equipment requested by Ukraine.
Health Minister Magnus Heunicke:
“Ukraine has submitted a list of support needs in the field of health in the form of medicines, medical equipment, and the possibility of treatment options in Danish hospitals. Denmark has the requested medicines and medical products in stock, and the donations will be sent as soon as possible. Ukraine currently has very limited capacity to coordinate the receipt of foreign donations. In addition to donating the medicines and medical equipment that Ukraine demands, we have also stated to HERA that we will be able to receive up to a few hundred patients from Ukraine in Danish hospitals.”
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Effective Tuesday, Danish shipping giant Maersk has suspended all cargo shipments to and from Russia by ocean, air, and rail, with the exception of food, medical, and humanitarian supplies. It notes all cargo currently en route will be delivered but no new cargo orders will be taken.
In a statement, Maersk says it is deeply concerned about the crisis unfolding in Ukraine.
“It is key for Maersk that we minimize supply chain disruption and do not add to global congestion in ports and depots. For cargo already underway and bookings placed before this suspension was announced, we will do our utmost to deliver it to its intended destination. Consequently, we will still call Russia, although we will not accept new bookings unless they belong in the exception categories mentioned above.”
Maersk also warned that there will be significant international shipping delays as countries like the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, detain vessels bound for Russia to inspect them for restricted commodities.
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Denmark’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jeppe Kofod joined a host of other diplomats and politicians in walking out of the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting Tuesday when Russia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the room remotely. Lavrov then gave his speech to a nearly empty room.
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Varde Kommune has struck a task force on the Ukraine invasion. The municipality has a large Ukrainian population and the cancers about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are palpable in the area.
The task force will facilitate inquiries from people in the community who want to help and organize contributions. It will also assess who in the community can take Ukrainian refugees and pass that information on to Danish immigration authorities. It will also offer help to any of the kommune’s Ukrainian families and their children as the community endures a challenging time.
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Coop Danmark, which operates the grocery stores Kvickly, SuperBrugsen, and Dagli’Brugsen, has filled five trucks full of warm blankets, canned food, and other aid items for Ukraine. The trucks left Albertslund on Sunday night for Poland, where the supplies will be used to help a flood of refugees fleeing from war-torn Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Denmark Ambassador Mykhailo Vydoinyk says it is a tragic situation leaving many refugees including small children, in desperate need.
“People were not prepared for war. Most were asleep when the Russian attack came. People took with them what they could carry. Jewelry, papers, and some food.”
Coop's CEO Kræn Østergaard Nielsen:
"It is unbelievable what they are going through in Ukraine. Completely inconceivable for us, but I am glad that we can help just a little.”
🇫🇮
In a historic decision, Finland has decided to send weapons to Ukrainian forces. The move has unanimous support from the Finnish Parliament. Heading to Ukraine will be 2,500 assault rifles, along with 150,000 cartridges, and 1,500 anti-tank weapons, and 70,000 combat rations for troops. The first batch of weapons and supplies left Finland for Ukraine on Tuesday.
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The Finnish government has also given its blessing for Estonia to purchase artillery from Finland and transfer it to Ukraine.
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In a surprise move, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin says the parliament will debate a citizen’s petition asking that the country join NATO on Tuesday. The petition gathered the required 50,000 signatures prompting a parliamentary response in just four days. The government could have put the petition on the back-burner but chose to make it a priority debate. This week, polls in Finland found, for the first time, a majority of the Finnish public backs the country joining NATO.
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Norway has joined its Nordic neighbours and many other European countries in donating weapons to help Ukraine fight Russia.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called it an “extraordinary situation.” Norway has donated up to 2,000 anti-tank weapons.
Minister of Defense Odd Roger Enoksen:
“This is a contribution to supporting Ukraine in their defense against military invasion. These are weapons that are easy to use and are used to defend against attacking armored vehicles. The Armed Forces are now working to prepare and send the material as quickly as possible.”
🇨🇭
Another European country known for its strict neutrality has come off the fence to join a growing list of nations sanctioning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Switzerland, a favorite destination for the Russian wealthy and their money, announced on Monday that it would freeze Russian assets. The assets to be frozen include those of Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as well as all 367 individuals sanctioned last week by the European Union. Switzerland has also closed its airspace to all Russian aircraft.
🇬🇧
The United Kingdom is closing its ports to all Russian vessels over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
British Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps tweeted:
“Today I've written to all UK ports asking them not to provide access to any Russian flagged, registered, owned, controlled, chartered or operated vessels. Given Putin's actions in Ukraine, I've made clear these vessels are NOT welcome here with prohibiting legislation to follow.”
In the letter, he says federal British authorities will work with the country’s ports to identify any inbound Russian vessels so they can be denied access to the ports. Shapps also added that further sanctions against Russian shipping are being developed.
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On Tuesday, the UK levied sanctions on Russia's largest lender Sberbank.
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Canada followed the UK’s lead on Tuesday and also closed off its waters and ports to all Russian vessels.
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On Monday, Canada approved a third shipment of deadly weapons to Ukraine. The Trudeau government is sending 100 Carl-Gustaf anti-tank weapons system launchers along with 2,000 rockets to the Ukrainian army. The weapons will be pulled from the inventory of the Canadian Armed Forces and will be sent to Ukraine as fast as possible.
🦠Pandemic🦠
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Denmark’s COVID contact number (reinfection rate or R0) continues to fall, dropping to 0.7 this week, according to Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke. He adds that “importantly, the number of new hospital admissions is also declining now.”
Denmark’s Health Minister notes that coronavirus infection rates are an unreliable pandemic barometer. But he is pointing to COVID wastewater monitoring as more dependable, and Heunicke shows declining infection rates in all Danish regions except for Region Nordjylland.
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COVID hospitalizations (1,734) declined (-17) while the number of severe cases in an ICU (48) increased (+6) and of those the number on a ventilator (16) remains unchanged. Infection admissions to psychiatric wards (404) edged down (-2).
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Denmark reported 18,561 infections (underreported), including 1,053 reinfections, and 37 more coronavirus deaths in the last day.
Yesterday there were 94,974 corona tests done, of which 67,831 were PCR tests equaling a positivity percentage of 27.36%.
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On the vaccination front, inoculation efforts continued to trudge along with 931 booster doses administered yesterday.
To date, 82.4% of the total population has one vaccine dose, 81.% have two, and 61.8% have a booster dose.
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Danish health authorities are scaling down PCR testing capacity along with tabling a new model that will tie PCR testing use to further reductions. Over the last week there was an average of 100,000 PCR tests per day. Based on those numbers, the national daily capacity for PCR tests will be reduced from 200,000 down to 140,000.
The Danish Agency for Security of Supply says PCR testing capacity specifically for healthcare workers and those admitted to hospitals will remain unchanged.
Director of the Danish Agency for Security of Supply Lisbet Zilmer-Johns:
“There is a declining need for COVID testing, and the new model makes it easier to know when PCR capacity should be reduced. Right now we are fortunately expected to move towards better times, but we are keeping an eye on developments in the epidemic, especially as we get closer to autumn and winter.”
Here is how the scaling down system will work.
Daily PCR activity (last 7 days) Overall PCR capacity adjustment
Below 140,000 per day 180,000 PCR tests.
Below 100,000 per day 140,000 PCR tests
Below 60,000 per day 100,000 PCR tests
Below 20,000 per day 40.000 PCR tests
Going hand in hand with a scaling down of PCR testing capacity will also be a reduction in the number of testing sites. This could mean that there would not be a PCR testing facility in every municipality as there is today. Danish Agency for Security of Supply says any downsizing will try to take into account the geographical spread of the test centers. It will also ensure that testing will be available close to airports.
Statens Serum Institut Director Henrik Ullum:
“We already see now that the infection has started to fall in areas where there were previously high rates. We expect this development to continue as a result of increasing immunity and seasonal effects. Therefore, fewer tests will probably be needed during the spring.”
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On Sunday, COVID rapid testing sites will close their doors across Denmark. Ahead of the closure, Region Syddanmark notes that rapid testing demand across Southern Denmark has fallen. At its height in December of 2021, the region was seeing over 50,000 rapid tests being administered daily. The region says by mid-February this year demand had dropped to just 8,000 per day.
Executive Vice President Kurt Espersen credits Carelink, the private provider running the region’s rapid testing sites, for a job well done.
“The demand for rapid tests has dropped significantly, and we are of course following the national health authorities' announcement of [rapid testing] closure on March 6. Carelink has distinguished itself in the way it helped to do the heavy lifting that the region has faced since the spring of 2020. In a short time, they have managed to both scale up and down in step with the region's rapid testing needs, and we would like to thank them for the cooperation on this important task, which has only succeeded so well because we have all worked so well together.”
PCR testing sites will still be open for those needing a COVID test. For anyone wanting a quick test, they will have to use a self-testing kit.
🇸🇪
Sweden added another 100 corona deaths and 7,040 new infections (wildly underreported) since its last update on Friday.
ICU numbers (64) fell (-9).
So far, 86.9% of the population 12 years old and older have one dose, 84.4% have two, and of those 18 years old and older 59.9% have a booster.
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Hospitalizations in Sweden’s capital region continue to ease. Region Stockholm reports in its latest daily update that there are 396 coronavirus patients in its hospitals, 14 fewer than in its last report. There are 20 severe infection cases in an ICU, a slight improvement on the 23 of the last update.
The situation has improved to the point that Danderyd's hospital has ended emergency operations and is returning to running as normal.
Chief Physician Johan Brett:
“It is going in the right direction, but we wish that the number of patients with COVID would drop even faster. However, we are seeing an improvement and several hospitals are starting to plan to resume normal operations that were paused when the infection wave was inflicting its most pressure.”
Infection Control Doctor Maria Rotzén Östlund:
“Of those who have actually been admitted to hospital with COVID as the main diagnosis, the unvaccinated have been greatly overrepresented.”
The region says another 2,876 confirmed infections last week, a number that should be taken with a large grain of salt as Sweden no longer provides COVID testing to the general public. The region has seen 78 more pandemic deaths in the last week.
It continues to warn that there is still a lag in reporting COVID fatalities.
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Region Skåne says overall infection numbers are slowly declining, but with changes preventing the general public from getting tested, it notes other more reliable indicators are not looking so good. Chief among them is the positivity percentage, with the region noting half of all healthcare workers being tested and a quarter of those in senior care have come back positive.
Infection Control Doctor Eva Melander:
“The spread of infection in society has decreased, but it is relatively slow. You should be aware that COVID is still common and that you can be infected. There are also a few other respiratory viruses that are in circulation right now.”
The region is urging anyone who has not yet been vaccinated or who hasn’t had a booster dose to go get them as soon as possible.
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Another Swedish region is reporting plummeting vaccination numbers since the country lifted all of its COVID measures and returned to near normal. Region Blekinge reports that the minute life returned to normal there was a steep drop in vaccination uptake. So now the region is launching a vaccination blitz to get holdouts inoculated.
Vaccine Coordinator Anna Tegel spoke to SVT:
“We urge people to take their third dose because the pandemic is not over. We see a clear connection with when the restrictions were lifted.”
Tegel says they are now taking steps to put being vaccinated back on people’s radar.
“We have a government assignment to work with the campaign week, week eleven, when all health centers have drop-in times.”
🇫🇮
Finland registered 19,686 infections and another 14 virus deaths. Numbers are inflated as they go back to Friday due to a reporting glitch on Monday.
COVID hospitalizations (727) are unchanged.
To date, 79.4% of the total population has one dose, 75.4% have two, and 49.6% have a booster.
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Finland has lifted COVID measures recommending people work from home whenever possible. The Finnish Institute for Health says as people return to work they need to take responsibility to make their commute as safe as possible.
Director Mika Salminen:
“As the corona epidemic stabilizes and with vaccination coverage being high, society has been opened up and the work-from home recommendation can finally be abandoned. However, the epidemic is not completely over, and when returning to local work, it still makes sense to take care of your own safety and the safety of those around you through vaccinations and previously learned means. Hygiene practices apply not only to workplaces but also to business trips. Especially on congested public transport, it is still wise to use a mask.”
He says people must now “dare” to start living a more normal life. Salminen cautions the pandemic is not over yet and that coronavirus is still circulating.
Commuters are advised to wear a mask in crowded situations, especially on public transit. They should also, whenever possible keep their distance. Basic hygiene practices should be maintained and if people are sick they should stay home. For the employer they should ensure workplaces are well ventilated.
🇳🇴
In Norway COVID hospitalizations (572) crept up (+3) while the number of ICU cases (45) was unchanged and of those the number on a ventilator (21) inched up (+3).
In the last 48 hours Norge added 17,248 infections and one more pandemic death.
So far, 80.3% of Norwegians 12 years old and older have one dose, 74.6% have two, and 53.5% have a booster shot.
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Germany recorded 122,111 new infections while suffering another 235 corona deaths since Monday’s update.
It added 1,622 COVID hospitalizations, while ICU numbers (2,245) dipped slightly (-12). As a percentage of all intensive care beds in the country, severe infection cases are using up 10.2%.
So far, 76.3% of the total population have one dose, 75.4% have two, and 57% have a booster dose.
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There are indications that Germany is about to ease entry rules. A draft plan from German authorities suggests the country will revamp its criteria for designating a country as a COVID high-risk area. According to a report on Schengen Visa Info Germany would only consider another country as a high-risk with associated tougher entry rules if they are considered an areas where coronavirus variants are widely circulating. The draft rules also state restrictions requiring children under the age of 12 traveling from a high-risk country to quarantine would be abolished.
Travelers within Europe and the Schengen area could, if the new rules come into force, travel into Germany as normal, with just the requirement to prove vaccination status or recent infection recovery with their EU COVID digital certificate. Those coming from outside the EU currently face stricter entry rules.
Changes could come into force by this Sunday, as that is when the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s infectious disease agency, updates its list of countries considered to be high-risk.
🇮🇹
As of Tuesday, March 1, all travelers, both from the EU and those coming from outside of it, can enter Italy restriction-free as long as they have proof of vaccination or recent infection recovery.
Travelers need to ensure their shots are up to date, including having a third dose within the allotted time. A recent infection recovery only counts if the person tested positive within the last 180 days.
🇨🇦
Hospitalization numbers continue to drop, at least at the national level in Canada. The latest update from the Public Health Agency of Canada says the total number of hospital beds occupied by COVID patients fell by 966 to 6,177 occupied beds in the week ending February 21. General hospital admissions also dropped, going from 6,338 to 5,506 in the same week. The number of severe cases in intensive care continues the downward trend falling by 144 to 671 beds occupied. The number of people on a ventilator also declined, going from 423 to 361.
Canada suffered 58 more virus deaths on Monday while adding 5,902 infections, a number very likely underreported.
Over the last seven days, the national positivity percentage was 11%.
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So far the Canadian vaccination effort has administered 32,207,227 1st vaccine doses (84.23% of the total population) while 30,905,992 people (80.83%) have two doses, and of those, 17,635,282 people are fully vaccinated with three doses.
Updated numbers below focusing on more reliable indicators than case counts are in comparison to our last look at the provinces last Thursday.
In Ontario, COVID hospitalizations (914) fell (-152) while the number of severe infections in intensive care (278) has declined (-24). The province has a positivity percentage of 8.98%
Quebec saw hospitalizations (1,439) drop (-165) while the number of severe infections in an ICU (90) also fell (-6). There were 14 more corona deaths. The province has a positivity percentage of 4.63%.
Newfoundland and Labrador has 19 COVID patients in hospital, an increase of two with six people in an ICU. There have been two more deaths. The province has a positivity percentage of 25%.
New Brunswick saw hospitalizations (86) have increased (+6) while ICU numbers (3) decreased (-2). Hospital capacity is at 90% while intensive care units are at 73% capacity. The province saw two more pandemic deaths.
In Nova Scotia hospitalizations (48) are up (+3) while there are 11 people in intensive care, a drop of one. The province has suffered two more corona deaths.
Manitoba saw COVID hospitalizations (463) decline (-61) with 30 people in intensive care, a decline of two. There have been no new pandemic deaths. The province has a five-day positivity percentage of 15.9%.
Saskatchewan only tables a once-a-week COVID update on Thursdays. In the meantime, wastewater surveillance from the Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina continue to show sky-high levels of virus activity.
COVID hospitalizations in Alberta (1,224) dropped (-133) while the number of people in an ICU (83) dipped (-9). There have been 14 more corona deaths. The province has a positivity percentage of 20.8%.
B.C. saw COVID hospitalizations (549) fall (-63) while the number of people with severe infections in an ICU (85) also dipped (-17). There have been 22 more pandemic deaths. The province is ending daily COVID updates and will instead offer a once-a-week pandemic snapshot.