Denmark reintroduces COVID passports 2 months after lifting all restrictions

It will once again designate COVID-19 as a “socially critical disease”

In September, the Danish government stopped designating COVID as a “socially critical disease”. In other words, it lifted all anti-epidemic measures, returning to the old normal. The decision to take such a bold action was made following a successful rollout of the vaccine and the country’s strong epidemic control.

Now, however, Denmark has recorded a sharp rise in infections and hospitalisations. As a result, it has been forced to take a step back.

Reintroducing measures

On 9 November, the government announced that it has received a recommendation from the Epidemic Commission to reintroduce measures and take action to prevent the spread of the virus. Therefore, COVID will once again be categorised as a socially critical disease for a period of one month from 11 November.

In addition to this, Denmark is also bringing back COVID passports. Although it is reintroducing these documents, it has made changes to the previous criteria. Expanding on this, citizens who have proof of immunity will now be able to use a COVID passport for only 6 months, instead of the previous 12. What is more, the government has also dropped the age limit for a COVID passport from 16 to 15.

Commenting on the need for such actions, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said:

"We know that increases in infection come with a tail of increases in hospitalisations. So even though we have good control of the epidemic and a high level of vaccination adherence, we need to act now. It is timely care. I am therefore also very happy that a broad majority in the Epidemic Committee has just backed the recommendation of our Epidemic Commission and the independent experts to categorise COVID-19 as socially critical and to use the corona passport again."