Why Denmark has called for the end of Covid restrictions

England has been described by some as an outlier in that the government is lifting Plan B restrictions in spite of Covid infections remaining high – daily numbers are still higher than at any point prior to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Some have even accused the Prime Minister of lifting the restrictions in order to divert attention from his political troubles. Yet Boris Johnson’s government is not alone. The Danish government, too, has announced that all remaining restrictions will be lifted on 1 February and Covid-19 will no longer be classified as a ‘socially critical disease’ in the country. In fact, Denmark is ahead of us in that the legal framework for the restrictions is also being lifted, removing the government’s power to impose any further measures. Britain is not due to reach that point until the end of March when the current six month extension to the emergency Covid powers expires (although it could yet be renewed).