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Copenhagen, Dec 18 (IANS) After witnessing a record surge in the number of new Covid-19 cases, the Danish government has announced it would implement restrictions aimed at preventing further transmission of the virus.
With 11,194 infections in Denmark in the last 24 hours, Parliament's Epidemics Committee confirmed that new restrictions will enter into force from 8 a.m. on Sunday until January 17, 2022, reports Xinhua news agency.
"We need to curb activity. We must all limit our social contact. However, our goal is still to keep large parts of society open as much as possible," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at a press conference.
The new restrictions include the closure of cinemas, museums, zoos and sporting events.
Restaurants will also only be able to serve up to 10 p.m.
"There is a particularly high risk of the spread of infection in places where many gather for a longer period of time," Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke said at the press conference.
In addition, Heunicke revealed that a total of 11,559 cases of the new Omicron variant have so far been reported in Denmark.
"The rules of the game have been changed by the Omicron variant, and therefore we will have to react now," added the Prime Minister.
To soften the economic blow to businesses, Frederiksen promised financial compensation for those affected by the restrictions.
"Those parts of the business and cultural life which are affected will have access to compensation as long as the restrictions apply," she added.
Alongside the record-breaking new Covid-19 infection figure, which includes 454 re-infections, the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) also registered three new fatalities in the same period, taking the national tallies to 600,468 cases and 3,054 deaths.
The SSI also reports that currently 4,505,271 people in Denmark are fully vaccinated, or 76.7 per cent of the population.
Meanwhile, 1,581,477 people, or 26.9 per cent of the population, have received a booster shot.
--IANS
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