By PTI
COPENHAGEN: Denmark on Friday reintroduced its digital pass as it declared COVID-19 once again “a socially critical disease” amid an increase in cases.
The pass must be used for a month to enter nightclubs, cafes, party buses and to be seated indoor in restaurants.
It was originally introduced on July 1 but was removed on September 10, when the outbreak was apparently under control because of a high rate of vaccination.
People above the age of 15, must flash the pass when attending outdoor events where the number of people exceeds 2,000.
Denmark, like many other countries, has seen an uptick in cases, with health authorities saying the number of infections and hospitalisations has risen faster than expected.
On Tuesday, the Danish parliament’s all-party Epidemic Committee unanimously approved a decision to once again call the outbreak “a socially critical disease” and reintroduce the pass.
The Danish pass app shows a QR code with a green banner if the holder is fully vaccinated or received a first dose at least two weeks ago, has recently recovered from COVID-19 or has had a negative test in the past 72 hours.
A paper version is also available.
On Friday, the government, the confederations of trade unions and employers reached a deal making it possible for employers to demand that employees show the digital pass at work.
The deal must be approved by parliament, likely next week, Danish broadcaster DR said.
According to the latest figures, 87.6 per cent of people over the age of 12 have gotten the first shot and 86 per cent have received the second jab.
The Czech government is requiring children to get tested for COVID-19 as part of efforts to curtail a recent steep rise in cases.
All elementary and high schools are required to test the country’s 1.4 million students in two waves on Nov.22 and Nov.29, Education Minister Robert Plaga said.
Medical experts recommended the mass testing.
Firefighters will distribute rapid test kits across the country, officials said.
Health Minister Adam Vojtech said the outgoing Czech government and members of the opposition that won an October parliamentary election and is forming a new government discussed additional coronavirus measures on Friday.
“It’s essential for all of us to be united,” Vojtech said.
He declined to detail the new measures, which the government is set to approve early next week.
Vojtech said both teams agreed on the importance of vaccination as the rate in the Czech Republic is below the European Union average.
“I’m glad that the government is listening to us,” Petr Smejkal, chief epidemiologist at Prague’s Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, told Czech public television.
New confirmed cases jumped sharply this week, arousing concern they would continued rising to the daily record of 17,776 cases registeerd on Jan.7.
The Czech Republic reported 10,395 new cases on Thursday, about 2,000 more than a week earlier.
The daily tally of new cases reached 14,539 on Tuesday, the highest number since March 12.
The country’s infection rate rose to 614 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days on Thursday, up from 558 two days earlier.
The Czech military said Friday that 40 service members will be deployed in hospitals in the eastern Czech Republic to relieve stretched workers.
The Czech Republic has been among the European Union hardest hit by the pandemic, with a total of 1.87 million cases in the nation of 10.7 million and 31,355 COVID-19 deaths.
