Denmark to start new phase of COVID-19 control in Sep

All COVID-19 related restrictions will be lifted and the disease will be removed from the category of "socially critical diseases" from Sept. 10, the Danish Ministry of Health said on Friday, reported Xinhua.

The measures have been made possible by extensive vaccination efforts and an efficient epidemic control, the ministry said.

It added that the decision had been made in agreement with the Danish Epidemic Commission and the health authorities.

The easing of restrictions, however, does not signal the end of the epidemic, said Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke in a press release.

"The government will not hesitate to act quickly if the pandemic again threatens important functions in our society," he said.

At the same time, the Danish Agency for Security of Supply announced a reduction in COVID-19 testing capacity, while emphasizing that all municipalities will maintain enough testing points.

"We continuously monitor the situation in close cooperation with the regions, and will upscale testing opportunities if needed," Lisbet Zilmer-Johns, director of the Danish Agency for Security of Supply, said on Friday.

In the past 24 hours, Denmark registered 925 new COVID-19 infections and three deaths, bringing the national totals to 342,474 cases and 2,576 deaths.

So far, 75 percent of the population, or 4,392,672 people have started the vaccination process, with 4,127,730 people, or 70.5 percent now fully vaccinated, according to official figures.