Denmark has locked down the region of North Jutland to contain a mutated form of Covid-19 detected in mink farms.
At least 200 people on the western Danish peninsula are said to have been infected with mink-related Covid-19, and 12 people have contracted the new mutation of the virus.
To ensure the mutation does not spread, and potentially threaten the efficacy of any future vaccine, prime minister Mette Frederiksen announced new restrictions affecting 280,000 people in the region.
In addition she has ordered the cull of millions of animals at over 1,000 mink farms.
“The eyes of the world are on us,” said Ms Frederiksen on Thursday evening, announcing the closure of bars and restaurants and a travel warning. “It is very, very serious. The mutated virus in minks can have devastating consequences worldwide.”
Health minister Magnus Heunicke said at least half of northern Denmark’s 783 human Covid-19 cases have been linked to mink farms.
Denmark’s food minister Mogens Jensen said 207 farms were now infected, up from 41 last month, and the disease has spread across the entire western peninsula of Jutland.
New restrictions will see public transport shut down and regional trains stopped from entering or leaving North Jutland. Culture and sport facilities such as gyms and pools will be shut. In addition, schools will shift teaching almost entirely online.
Health authorities for North Jutland are preparing to test the entire population.
The news of the outbreak, and mass cull, is an economic disaster for the region. Denmark is the world’s leading exporter of fur, with Danish breeders accounting for 40 per cent of mink production. Most of the Danish production – an estimated 17 million furs a year – go to China and Hong Kong.
A cull of the entire country’s mink could generate losses of around five billion krone (€671m). While 1,500 breeders in a national co-operative have protested against the proposed measures, national police head Thorkild Fogde has called for the cull to take place “as soon as possible”.
The World Health Organisation said on Friday it was normal for viruses to mutate and change over time, which does not make them more dangerous. However, Danish officials noted that this mutation displayed a weaker reaction to antibodies. Denmark has registered 52,265 confirmed Covid-19 infections and 733 related deaths.
On Friday the UK said it had removed Denmark from the country’s safe travel list, requiring all arrivals to isolate for 14 days on arrival.
