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Copenhagen: In Denmark, the corona numbers have risen again (symbol image)
Photo Credit: Francis Dean / Dean Pictures / IMAGO
After the corona situation in Denmark had calmed down for months, the number of infections is now rising again quite significantly.
Compared to the previous week, the recently very low number of confirmed new infections with the corona virus increased from 3805 to 5830 in the past week.
That corresponded to a weekly increase of 53 percent.
It was also the second week in a row with an upward trend, according to the latest trend report from the Danish health institute SSI on Thursday.
The seven-day incidence was 99 in the week of June 6-12.
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The spread of the omicron subvariant BA.5 apparently plays a role in the increase in corona infections.
According to the institute, BA.5 was recently detected in about 29 percent of all sequenced analyses.
Until mid-May, the value was less than one percent.
According to the technical director Tyra Grove Krause, the SSI expects that the sub-variant will soon become the dominant variant in the northernmost German neighboring country.
In Germany, too, the corona numbers are currently increasing again due to the subvariant BA.5.
China reports successes
China is now reporting initial successes in the fight against the further spread of the corona virus.
After the outbreak in a bar in Beijing, a spokesman for the city administration said on Thursday, according to the Reuters news agency, that the measures taken would bear fruit.
"After eight days of hard fighting - and the cohesion of the Beijing population - the quick and decisive measures have had an effect."
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Authorities had linked 351 cases to the outbreak at Heaven Supermarket Bar.
As a result, millions of residents in the most populous district of Chaoyang were tested in three rounds.
All of the city's bars, nightclubs, karaoke halls, internet cafes and other entertainment venues were checked.
Some restaurants have been closed.
The police launched a criminal investigation into the person responsible for the bar.
For the 22 million residents of Beijing, extensive corona restrictions were only lifted two weeks ago, during which shopping centers were closed, bus and train lines were shut down and people were asked to work from home.
No more tests when entering New Zealand
In the meantime, further corona rules are being relaxed in New Zealand.
Anyone who wants to travel to the country will no longer have to present a negative corona test when entering the country from next week.
The rule will no longer apply from June 20, a month earlier than planned, the government announced on Thursday.
"We have taken a careful and phased approach in reopening our borders," said Minister for the Fight Against Covid-19, Ayesha Verrall.
"Our strategy has worked, so it's safe to lift the pre-departure testing requirements much earlier than planned."
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However, visitors must continue to carry out a self-test upon arrival and another on the fifth day of their stay.
Since the beginning of May, visitors from 60 visa-waiver countries have been allowed to enter the Pacific state, including Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
On July 31, New Zealand will reopen its borders to travelers from all over the world for the first time - two months earlier than initially planned.
The country with its five million inhabitants has long been considered a model state in the fight against the virus.
The island state had largely isolated itself from the outside world in March 2020 and at times pursued a so-called zero-Covid strategy.
However, the country has now recorded more than 1.2 million cases due to the highly contagious omicron variant.
mar/dpa/Reuters
