Europe is trying to stop tensions from Danish mink farms

LONDON – Strict public health measures have been introduced in the north of the country following the discovery of new coronavirus strains on Danish mink farms, while other European nations have also reacted to the outbreak.

The warning comes after Denmark’s national authority for control of the infectious disease, the Serum Institute, warned of possible “serious consequences” for its future Covid-19 vaccine if the mutant virus spreads internationally.

More than a quarter of people in northern Denmark went to the lockdown on Friday, urging citizens to take the test after learning of the Covid-19 infection in the region’s Mink population.

Restaurants in seven municipalities were ordered to close from Saturday, and schools in the fifth grade and above were required to switch to distance education from Monday.

Elsewhere, the UK government enforced strict rules for arrivals from Denmark. Freight drivers who have traveled to or from Denmark in the last 14 days, and who are not UK residents, will now be denied entry into Britain. All passenger ships and freight from Denmark will also be intercepted.

In Ireland, travelers from the Scandinavian country have been told to take extra precautions to end the spread of the newly discovered coronavirus strain.

The Irish government has said people should be banned from moving for 14 days after entering the country from Denmark, even if they are visiting for an “essential” purpose.

Last week, Danish health officials sounded the alarm over a mutated form of coronavirus that originated on a mink farm and spread to humans.

Prime Minister Matt Frederickson called the situation “very serious” and ordered the country’s mink farms to order all 15 million cents in measures designed to reduce the risk of animals re-transmitting animal hazards to humans.

Animal rights group Human Society International’s data puts Denmark as the world’s second-largest exporter of mink fur, behind China. He says Denmark accounted for about half of all the 35 million mink raised in Europe in 2018.

Since June, 214 human cases of covid-19 have been identified in Denmark involving cultivators, the WHO said, adding 12 cases with a unique type.

All 12 of these cases were found to have originated in North Jutland, Denmark, and the infected people were between 7 and 79 years old.

The WHO said preliminary observations suggest that clinical presentation, severity and transmission in infected people were similar to those of other circulating coronavirus strains.

The WHO has since begun reviewing biosecurity measures at mink farms around the world.

Coronavirus is constantly evolving, and to date there is no evidence to suggest a change known in Danish mink farms that increases the risk for people.

As of Monday morning, more than 50.3 million people worldwide have contracted Covid-19, with 1.25 million related deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Drug manufacturers and research centers are scrambling to deliver a safe and effective vaccine in an effort to end the coronavirus epidemic.

Mike Rhea, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergency Program, said on Friday that it was “long overdue” to understand whether a mutation in the virus could have any effect on diagnostics or vaccines.

Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at WHO, agreed.

“I think we have to wait and see what the implications are, but I don’t think we should come to any conclusions about whether this particular change affects the effectiveness of the vaccine,” Swaminath said on Friday.

“We have no evidence at the moment that it will be. But we will update you as soon as we get more information.”