Sweden stops testing, UK to scrap iso rules | Border post
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Authorities in Sweden, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates have announced easing of coronavirus restrictions as the global number of infections since the beginning of the pandemic exceeded 400 million. Sweden scrapped almost all of its few restrictions on Wednesday and stopped most tests for covid-19. The Swedish government announced last week that it would abolish the remaining restrictions – in practice declaring the pandemic over – as vaccines and the less serious Omicron variant have curbed serious cases and deaths. – Since we know about this pandemic, I would say that it is over, says Minister of Health Lena Hallengren to Dagens Nyheter. “It’s not over, but as we know it when it comes to rapid change and restrictions, it is,” she said, adding that covid-19 would no longer be classified as a danger to society. From Wednesday, bars and restaurants will be open again after 23:00 and without restrictions on the number of guests. The country has stopped large-scale tests for covid-19 even among people showing symptoms of an infection, putting a stop to the mobile tent sites in squares, drive-in swab centers and home-delivered tests that became ubiquitous during the pandemic and provided important information to track the spread. . The move puts Sweden on edge with most of Europe, but some experts say it may become the norm because costly tests provide fewer benefits with the easily transferable but milder Omicron variant and when governments begin to consider treating COVID-19 as they do other endemic diseases. – We have reached a point where the cost and relevance of the testing is no longer justifiable, said the head of the Public Health Agency Karin Tegmark Wisell this week. “If we had extensive tests adapted to everyone who has covid-19, it would mean half a billion kronor a week (about 77 million dollars) and 2 billion a month,” added Tegmark Wisell. From Wednesday, only care and elderly care workers and the most vulnerable will be entitled to free PCR tests if they are symptomatic, while the rest of the population will simply be asked to stay at home if they show symptoms that may be covid-19. Antigen tests are readily available for purchase in supermarkets and pharmacies, but these results are not reported to the health authorities. In the UK, instead of dropping all test requirements, the authorities rely on tests in addition to vaccination to help people return to a normal life. The government has also made rapid tests freely available and encouraged people to test themselves before potentially risky gatherings, hoping to know their status will curb the transmission of covid-19. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson signaled his intention to remove the need to isolate after a positive covid-19 test at the end of February. People would still be advised to isolate themselves. The United Arab Emirates will gradually lift the restrictions as the number of infections and hospital stays has decreased, the state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday. The venues will be allowed to operate at maximum capacity in mid-February, it said. The oil-rich federation has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. At the same time, the Polish Minister of Health said on Wednesday that an end to the covid-19 pandemic was in sight when he announced a reduction in the isolation period for infected people and looser quarantine rules. Poland recorded record daily cases as recently as two weeks ago, but with reduced infections and the effects of Omicron appearing to be milder than previous variants, authorities believe the time is right for a lighter touch. “We are dealing with the beginning of the end of the pandemic,” Adam Niedzielski told a news conference. “In February, the reductions in infections should be relatively large.” In comments published earlier on Wednesday, Niedzielski said Poland could lift its covid-19 restrictions in March if the number of daily infections continues to fall at the current rate. Global COVID-19 cases exceeded 400 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters report. But the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that “diseases know no bounds” and the Omicron variant has shown that “all feelings of security can be changed in an instant”. The WHO’s weekly epidemiological report showed that the number of cases decreased by 17 percent worldwide over the past week, including a 50 percent decrease in the United States, while deaths globally decreased by 7 percent. “Depending on where you live, it may feel like the covid-19 pandemic is almost over, or it may feel like it’s at its worst,” Tedros said. “But wherever you live, COVID is not done with us.” “We know this virus will continue to develop, but we are not defenseless,” he added. “We have the tools to prevent this disease, test for it and treat it.” with reporting from the AP, PA and DPA Australian Associated Press
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Authorities in Sweden, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates have announced easing of coronavirus restrictions as the global number of infections since the beginning of the pandemic exceeded 400 million.
Sweden scrapped almost all of its few restrictions on Wednesday and stopped most tests for covid-19.
The Swedish government announced last week that it would abolish the remaining restrictions – in practice declaring the pandemic over – as vaccines and the less serious Omicron variant have curbed serious cases and deaths.
– Since we know about this pandemic, I would say that it is over, says Minister of Health Lena Hallengren to Dagens Nyheter.
“It’s not over, but as we know it when it comes to rapid change and restrictions, it is,” she said, adding that covid-19 would no longer be classified as a danger to society.
From Wednesday, bars and restaurants will be open again after 23:00 and without restrictions on the number of guests.
The country has stopped large-scale tests for covid-19 even among people showing symptoms of an infection, putting a stop to the mobile tent sites in squares, drive-in swab centers and home-delivered tests that became ubiquitous during the pandemic and provided important information to track the spread. .
The move puts Sweden on edge with most of Europe, but some experts say it may become the norm because costly tests provide fewer benefits with the easily transferable but milder Omicron variant and when governments begin to consider treating COVID-19 as they do other endemic diseases.
– We have reached a point where the cost and relevance of the testing is no longer justifiable, said the head of the Public Health Agency Karin Tegmark Wisell this week.
“If we had extensive tests adapted to everyone who has covid-19, it would mean half a billion kronor a week (about 77 million dollars) and 2 billion a month,” added Tegmark Wisell.
From Wednesday, only care and elderly care workers and the most vulnerable will be entitled to free PCR tests if they are symptomatic, while the rest of the population will simply be asked to stay at home if they show symptoms that may be covid-19.
Antigen tests are readily available for purchase in supermarkets and pharmacies, but these results are not reported to the health authorities.
In the UK, instead of dropping all test requirements, the authorities rely on tests in addition to vaccination to help people return to a normal life.
The government has also made rapid tests freely available and encouraged people to test themselves before potentially risky gatherings, hoping to know their status will curb the transmission of covid-19.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson signaled his intention to remove the need to isolate after a positive covid-19 test at the end of February.
People would still be advised to isolate themselves.
The United Arab Emirates will gradually lift the restrictions as the number of infections and hospital stays has decreased, the state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday.
The venues will be allowed to operate at maximum capacity in mid-February, it said.
The oil-rich federation has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.
At the same time, the Polish Minister of Health said on Wednesday that an end to the covid-19 pandemic was in sight when he announced a reduction in the isolation period for infected people and looser quarantine rules.
Poland recorded record daily cases as recently as two weeks ago, but with reduced infections and the effects of Omicron appearing to be milder than previous variants, authorities believe the time is right for a lighter touch.
“We are dealing with the beginning of the end of the pandemic,” Adam Niedzielski told a news conference.
“In February, the reductions in infections should be relatively large.”
In comments published earlier on Wednesday, Niedzielski said Poland could lift its covid-19 restrictions in March if the number of daily infections continues to fall at the current rate.
Global COVID-19 cases exceeded 400 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters report.
But the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that “diseases know no bounds” and the Omicron variant has shown that “all feelings of security can be changed in an instant”.
The WHO’s weekly epidemiological report showed that the number of cases decreased by 17 percent worldwide over the past week, including a 50 percent decrease in the United States, while deaths globally decreased by 7 percent.
“Depending on where you live, it may feel like the covid-19 pandemic is almost over, or it may feel like it’s at its worst,” Tedros said.
“But wherever you live, COVID is not done with us.”
“We know this virus will continue to develop, but we are not defenseless,” he added.
“We have the tools to prevent this disease, test for it and treat it.”
with reporting from AP, PA and DPA
Australian Associated Press