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The severe restrictions come after several people, especially in North Jutland, were found to be infected with the new mutated variant of the coronavirus.
It appears that minks are susceptible and “good reservoirs” for the disease, and a dozen people in Denmark have now been shown to have been infected by this new mutated strain of mink.
This is how Catherine Smallwood of the WHO Copenhagen office commented on the Danish decision in a post on social media, according to Reuters.
“Of course there is a risk that a population of minks can contribute in some way to the transmission of the virus from mink to humans, and then from humans to humans, ”he continues.
The stricter rules will cover 280,000 people living in seven municipalities in northern Denmark.
This means, among other things, that students and staff in upper secondary schools must maintain a greater distance, preschool groups must be shortened, and groups of more than ten people cannot meet.
Everyone is also urged to put themselves to the test and all cultural and sports facilities must be closed. Foreigners who want to travel to one of the municipalities will be rejected.
– The rest of Denmark needs that they are doing such great efforts for them, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement Thursday night.
It was aimed primarily at the inhabitants of the seven municipalities of Frederikshavn, Hjørring, Vesthimmerland, Brønderslev, Jammerbugt, Thisted, Läsø.
The rules are similar to those introduced across the country on March 11, 2020 to cushion the effects of the pandemic in the country.
– This is North Jutland’s “own version” of these restrictions, said the Danish prime minister, vowing that the closure will be accompanied by packages of state aid and financial compensation to affected companies.
DN has previously written that Denmark already decided on Wednesday that all of the country’s 17 million minks should be euthanized after fears that the coronavirus in infected animals could spread to humans.
Hans Kluge, WHO Head of Europe, says according to Reuters that Denmark has shown “determination and strength” with its decision that will lead to major economic consequences for the industry.
It is not surprising that the virus changes and mutates over time. But “we are trying to monitor these changes closely and that is why this is so interesting,” writes Catherine Smallwood, adding that there is no reason for other countries and authorities to change the rules on how to deal with the pandemic.
But there is a concern that a future vaccine will not work as well against the mutated variant of the virus, and that it will spread to various people and the rest of the world, according to the Serum Institute of the Danish Infection Control Agency.
Coronavirus has also been detected in mink in Sweden. The first case in Sweden was discovered on a mink farm in Sölvesborg at the end of October.
Since then, samples have been taken from all herds in Sweden and on Thursday, the Swedish Board of Agriculture declared that corona infection is present in nine herds of mink, all in Blekinge.
There is still no decision that these animals be euthanized.
Read more: More herds of minks in Sweden infected by coronavirus
