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12 Countries Roll Back COVID Restrictions, Israel Scraps ‘Green Pass’
Lifesite News ^ | 02/04/22 | Megan Redshaw

Posted on 02/06/2022 2:55:30 PM PST by Enlightened1

Sweden and Switzerland joined Denmark, Norway, Finland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Italy, Lithuania, France and the UK in announcing they will lift COVID restrictions and open up their countries.

(Children’s Health Defense) – Europe is accelerating steps to roll back COVID restrictions as efforts to control the spread of the virus have failed and countries downgrade the threat posed by SARS-CoV-2.

Sweden and Switzerland joined Denmark, Norway, Finland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Italy, Lithuania, France and the U.K. in announcing they will lift COVID restrictions and open up their countries.

Top Israeli officials also announced this week they are abolishing the country’s “Green Pass” COVID vaccine passport for restaurants, hotels, gyms and theaters.

The policy update will take effect Feb. 6, Prime Minister Naftali Bennet’s government said, pending approval by a parliamentary committee. Israel’s proof-of-vaccination policy will remain in effect for events such as parties or weddings.

“To continue the green pass in the same way can create false assurances,” said Nadav Davidovitch, an epidemiologist and public health physician advising Prime Minister Naftali Bennet’s government. “It’s not reducing infections in closed spaces like theatres. It needs to be used mainly for high-risk places like hospitals, elderly care homes, or events when you are eating and singing and dancing.”

Sweden will lift all COVID restrictions by Feb. 9, the Swedish government said Thursday.

According to Politico, the Swedish Public Health Agency said it reassessed COVID as “not being socially critical” due to a better understanding of the Omicron variant, which is milder and associated with fewer hospitalizations.

“It’s time to open up Sweden,” said Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. “The pandemic isn’t over, but it is moving into a new phase.”

The decision to open Sweden came a day after Switzerland, citing high immunity levels and the milder Omicron variant, announced it will abolish mandatory work-from-home and the quarantine rules beginning today.

The government also will lift health measures at the borders and tourists will no longer need to receive Swiss COVID certificates.

The Swiss government said it planned to phase out other restrictions after consulting with 26 cantons, employers, trade unions and parliamentary committees.

In two weeks, the government will determine the next steps to relax pandemic measures depending on the health situation, according to an official statement.

Options include a staggered exit strategy or an abrupt end to all COVID measures on Feb. 17.

Denmark to classify COVID as endemic disease 

Just days before Sweden and Switzerland’s announcements, Denmark became the first country in the European Union to lift all COVID restrictions, reclassifying COVID as an endemic disease.

Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke on Feb. 1 wrote a letter to the parliament’s epidemiology committee stating COVID was no longer a “socially critical disease.”

Based on the recommendations of the committee, the government decided to scrap COVID restrictions.

The “rules will lapse when the illness will no longer be categorized as ‘socially critical’ on 1 February 2022,” Heunicke wrote.

The classification of a disease as “socially critical” gave the government authority to implement broad restrictive measures such as shutting businesses and making mask-wearing mandatory.

An endemic disease circulates freely but is recognized as posing less of a threat to societies.

“No one can know what will happen next December,” Heunicke told CNN on Monday. “But we promised the citizens of Denmark that we will only have restrictions if they are truly necessary and we’ll lift them as soon as we can. That’s what’s happening right now.”

When asked about vaccine mandates, Heunicke said:

“Luckily we don’t need that in Denmark … I’m really happy that we don’t need it because it’s a very troubling path to move that way.”

Søren Brostrøm, director-general of Denmark’s Health Authority agreed:

“I do not believe in imposed vaccine mandates. It’s a pharmaceutical intervention with possible side effects. You need as an authority, to recognize that. I think if you push too much, you will have a reaction — action generates reaction, especially with vaccines.”

Danish authorities will still recommend taking at-home tests when coming into contact with large groups of people and will make PCR tests available to the public. Travelers entering the country will still be tested upon entry.

Other European countries drop COVID restrictions 

Italy, France, Norway, Lithuania, England and Finland also relaxed restrictions, Bloomberg reported.

“We should discuss whether it’s time for us to take a different viewpoint and start unwinding restrictions even with a high number of infections,” Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters. “I hope that we can be rid of restrictions during February.”

At a meeting in Helsinki to discuss the pace of removing restrictions, the government decided to lift all limits on gatherings and ease restrictions on restaurants and bars on Feb.14. Night clubs will remain closed until March 1. Cultural venues, events and sports will be free from restrictions.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s administration met Wednesday to discuss how to curb restrictions. The government will initially focus on quarantine rules for children and plans to cut the 10-day isolation requirement down to five.

The Lithuanian government is dropping its requirement to present a vaccination certificate in public areas, such as restaurants and sporting events, and unvaccinated workers will no longer be required to undergo weekly testing.

France’s looser rules went into effect on Wednesday, ending mandatory work-from-home rules, eliminating requirements on face masks outdoors and lifting attendance limits in stadiums and theaters.

Norway followed suit and lifted restrictions on private gatherings, bars and restaurants and will not require border testing.

England last week announced it was lifting its COVID restrictions. Beginning Jan. 27, face coverings were no longer required by law anywhere in England and the legal requirement for COVID passes to enter large venues and clubs were scrapped.

The government also dropped guidance for face-covering in classrooms, advice for people working from home and restrictions for nursing home visitors.

On Jan. 26, the Netherlands reopened restaurants, bars, museums and theaters as part of a broader easing of restrictions.

Lockdowns had little-to-no benefit on public health, analysis shows

Few studies, if any, have been carried out to determine whether vaccine passports and COVID restrictions actually lowered COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

However, a recent analysis published by researchers at John Hopkins found COVID lockdown measures implemented in the U.S. and Europe had almost no effect on public health.

“We find little-to-no evidence that mandated lockdowns in Europe and the United States had a noticeable effect on COVID-19 mortality rates,” the researchers wrote.

The researchers also examined shelter-in-place orders, finding they reduced COVID mortality only by 2.9%.

Studies assessing only shelter-in-place orders found a mortality reduction of 5.1%, but when combined with other lockdown measures, shelter-in-place orders actually increased COVID mortality by 2.8%.

Researchers found limits on gatherings may have actually increased COVID mortality. They wrote:

“[Shelter-in-place orders] may isolate an infected person at home with his/her family where he/she risks infecting family members with a higher viral load, causing more severe illness. But often, lockdowns have limited people’s access to safe (outdoor) places such as beaches, parks and zoos, or included outdoor mask mandates or strict outdoor gathering restrictions, pushing people to meet at less safe (indoor) places.”

COVID lockdown measures also contributed to “reducing economic activity, rising unemployment, reducing schooling, causing political unrest, contributing to domestic violence and undermining liberal democracy,” the report said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Israel; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: anthonyfauci; covid; covidstooges; europe; greenpass; israel; obamacare; restrictions; rollback; vaccinemandates
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1 posted on 02/06/2022 2:55:30 PM PST by Enlightened1
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To: Enlightened1

This is going to put pressure on the Canadian government.

I wonder if the US will ease restrictions soon, too, before the start of a truck convoy here too, so it doesn’t make the government look like it capitulated to the truckers.


2 posted on 02/06/2022 2:58:34 PM PST by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith….)
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To: metmom

They are in some States.


3 posted on 02/06/2022 3:02:52 PM PST by Enlightened1
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To: Enlightened1

Very good news except for Austria which has gotten even more Covid deranged, as far as fining adults who refuse their retarded spike protein generating jabs. And eat sht n die off Fauci. Loser! Liar! Punk! Take a long walk off a short pier. Your time is up very soon. You are about to be tossed on the dust bin of history.


4 posted on 02/06/2022 3:03:31 PM PST by dennisw
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To: Enlightened1

You all know that the PTB are going to give all credit to their poison vaxxxxxes and boosters for the end of their reign of Covid.XYZ terrorism.


5 posted on 02/06/2022 3:05:34 PM PST by dennisw
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To: metmom

It depends on the locality in the United States. Certain counties in blues states will remain restrictive while red states will be free.


6 posted on 02/06/2022 3:07:20 PM PST by moviefan8 (#restorethesnyderverse)
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To: Enlightened1

The revolting natives of these countries are all to be congratulated!


7 posted on 02/06/2022 3:08:59 PM PST by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
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To: Enlightened1

Brandon will probably jump right ob that right?

💉😷🐂💩💀💰💰💰💰


8 posted on 02/06/2022 3:09:17 PM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this? 😕)
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To: Enlightened1

Stoopidness remains firmly in place in nevaDUH.


9 posted on 02/06/2022 3:10:32 PM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this? 😕)
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To: Enlightened1

The house of COVID cards collapses...


10 posted on 02/06/2022 3:11:56 PM PST by lightman (I am a binary Trinitarian. Deal with it!)
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To: Enlightened1

Researchers found limits on gatherings may have actually increased COVID mortality. They wrote:

“[Shelter-in-place orders] may isolate an infected person at home with his/her family where he/she risks infecting family members with a higher viral load, causing more severe illness. But often, lockdowns have limited people’s access to safe (outdoor) places such as beaches, parks and zoos, or included outdoor mask mandates or strict outdoor gathering restrictions, pushing people to meet at less safe (indoor) places.”

Remember when the jackboots were arresting people alone at the beach or the guy surfing in the ocean? Pepperidge Farm remembers.


11 posted on 02/06/2022 3:12:35 PM PST by Flick Lives (The CDC. Brought to you by Pfizer.)
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To: Enlightened1
Step 1: remove the restrictions

Step 2: trials for the tyrants, liars, and frauds who perpetrated the “COVID” lie

Step 3: Hanging of the tyrants, liars and frauds

12 posted on 02/06/2022 3:30:31 PM PST by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: Enlightened1

After wrecking economies and businesses over what - a damn virus most recover from and the isolation and vax/booster jabs couldn’t prevent. Big Pharma made their billions along with their tyrant sycophants like Fraudci et al. They used fear and manipulation as controlling powers.


13 posted on 02/06/2022 3:31:14 PM PST by tflabo (Truth or tyranny )
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To: Enlightened1
When will Xiden aka Brandon be telling the world that he made these steps possible?

Biden, I did that!


14 posted on 02/06/2022 3:34:02 PM PST by Grampa Dave (How do you prove fraud, when those that determine fraud, use fraud to cover the fraud?)
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To: rktman


NV would be firmly in the GOP camp if it wasn't for Clark Co. Maybe we can get rid of this idiot governor in Nov. Of course there is now universal mail-in balloting so I expect a lot of cheating.
15 posted on 02/06/2022 3:41:06 PM PST by Signalman
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To: Enlightened1

Bkmkzz


16 posted on 02/06/2022 3:45:08 PM PST by cuban leaf (My prediction: Harris is Spiro Agnew. We'll soon see who becomes Gerald Ford, and our next prez.)
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To: Grampa Dave
When will Xiden aka Brandon be telling the world that he made these steps possible?

I think that dementia-addled imbecile is going to double down on stupid and increase the pressure to get vaccinated. And I think he'll extend the airport/airline mask mandate once again. It's due to expire on March 18, but I don't think he will let it expire.

17 posted on 02/06/2022 3:45:38 PM PST by AlaskaErik (In time of peace, prepare for war.)
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To: moviefan8

In NH there are a few local towns that are all masked up by mandate.

As far as the state, Nobody seems to be wearing much of anything any more, although you can tell those who are terrified of omicron because they are wearing the N95’s.

I avoid them. Not because of being afraid of catching something, but because they are not going to be reasoned with. It’s nice of them to alert people to that.


18 posted on 02/06/2022 3:57:35 PM PST by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith….)
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To: dennisw

Making all adults take a “vaccine”, that doesn’t work, for a strain that no longer exists...brilliant!


19 posted on 02/06/2022 4:01:34 PM PST by EEGator
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To: metmom
"As far as the state, Nobody seems to be wearing much of anything any more, although you can tell those who are terrified of omicron because they are wearing the N95’s.

I avoid them. Not because of being afraid of catching something, but because they are not going to be reasoned with. It’s nice of them to alert people to that.

20 posted on 02/06/2022 4:08:28 PM PST by Grampa Dave (How do you prove fraud, when those that determine fraud, use fraud to cover the fraud?)
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