Denmark has lifted all COVID restrictions. Unfortunately, the U.S. cannot do the same thing | Opinion

Denmark has become the first country to lift all domestic COVID- restrictions and to allow people to return to fully normal lives. But I’m not sure that what works for Denmark would work for the rest of us — at least not yet.

I reached that conclusion after interviewing Danish health minister Magnus Heunicke, and following the decision by Norway and other European countries to start dismantling their own restrictions. At least five U.S. states — New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Connecticut and Delaware — announced in recent days that they will lift statewide mask mandates, amid a wider debate about whether the time has come to lift all COVID-19 restrictions.

Denmark announced its decision on Feb. 1, as COVID-19 infection rates were still growing and the country had one of the world’s highest COVID-19 contagion rates, according to the University of Oxford’s Our World in Data pandemic tracker.

But Health Minister Heunicke told me that the rise in contagions did not stop the government from lifting its virus restrictions because the country’s main goal — protecting the elderly — had been achieved. The virus is no longer a “critical threat” because almost all adults aged 65 and older are vaccinated, and the omicron variant is not as deadly as the previous one, he said.

“When you look at the people over the age of 65 in Denmark, 94% of them have gotten three shots,” Heunicke told me. “So that is very important, and a very big part of the explanation on why we can do this at this early stage in Denmark.”

Among the general population, 80% of Danes are vaccinated with two shots, and 60% with three shots. “Our campaign for the third shot has been really targeting those vulnerable groups that we know are in danger of a severe illness,” Heunicke told me.

Denmark now only requires visitors from abroad to show proof of vaccination when they enter the country. But once you have entered, all restrictions have been suspended, he said.

“Everything is open. Nightclubs, bars, restaurants and cinemas are open, and you don’t have to wear face masks in public areas,” he added. “The only exception is when you are visiting elderly homes and hospitals.”

When I mentioned that the World Health Organization has stated that, “It’s premature for any country to either surrender or declare victory,” and that it is “concerned” about other countries rushing to follow Denmark’s steps, Heunicke nodded in agreement.

“Well, it is always wise to listen very carefully to the WHO and then to look at your own numbers,” Heunicke said. “That is why this is not something we recommend all other countries to do tomorrow.”

Indeed, the United States and most Latin American countries are far behind Denmark in vaccinating their people.

Only 44% of Americans 65 or older have received a booster or additional primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in December.

While that figure may have risen somewhat since, it’s still way below Denmark’s vaccination rate for the same demographic.

In Latin America, where vaccination rates in most countries are lower than those in the United States, lifting COVID-19 restrictions would be even more dangerous.

“We have to keep in mind that Europe is one or two months ahead in time,” Jarbas Barbosa, a top official of the Pan-American Health Organization, told me. “The omicron variant started circulating in Europe long before it did in Latin America.”

Therefore, we cannot compare Europe with the United States or Latin America when it comes to lifting COVID-19 restrictions. While Denmark and other European countries have virtually all people over 65 fully vaccinated with three shots, and the omicron variant has already started to decrease, the Western Hemisphere is nowhere near those benchmarks.

Let’s congratulate Denmark for what it’s doing and drastically speed up our vaccination rates at home. But don’t make the mistake of saying, “If it’s safe to do it in Denmark, it’s safe to do it here.” It’s not.

Don’t miss the “Oppenheimer Presenta” TV show on Sundays at 7 pm E.T. on CNN en Español. Twitter: @oppenheimera; Blog: www.andresoppenheimer.com