Pandemic Passport: Freedom! — Ukraine’s COVID

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GOOD GOVERNMENT HELPS: Living in a country with a high rate of vaccination, strong public trust in the state and a record of clean government is going to give you a head start in coming out of the pandemic — that at least appears to be the takeaway from Denmark’s dash for freedom. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen moved early, even though the Omicron strain of the coronavirus has driven infection rates in Denmark to the highest levels in the EU. Crucially, the number of patients landing in intensive care is heading lower, confirming that Omicron typically causes milder disease even if it is fiendishly contagious. This all means that Danes now feel less threatened than at any time during the pandemic, says political scientist and government adviser Michael Bang Petersen. Older Danes, who benefited from the compliance of younger fellow citizens with restrictions during the tougher times, now accept that it’s time for pubs and nightclubs to reopen — a benefit of the country’s famed social cohesion. If you’re wondering which countries might reopen next, you might want to forget about COVID case rates and instead check out Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. There, Denmark is top of the pops. Sweden, which ranks close behind, has just followed Denmark’s lead, announcing that it will lift all curbs from February 9. To learn more about the Danish way, read this excellent news analysis by my colleague Helen Collis.

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