Denmark plans to lift almost all COVID-19 restrictions next week in spite of record infection levels, the country’s prime minister has announced.

From February 1, Danes would no longer have to wear masks or show proof of vaccination in most places.

The government of premier Mette Frederiksen was following the instructions of the country’s disease control commission, which recommended emergency measures to combat the pandemic be phased out.

Ms Frederiksen called the move a milestone, saying “We are saying goodbye to restrictions and hello to the life we knew before coronavirus.”

She sigh vaccination coverage has proven to be a “superweapon,” In Denmark, more than 80 per cent of the entire population were vaccinated.

Half of Danes have already received a booster and mandatory testing will remain in place for some arrivals to the country.

Testing and other precautions will not be mandatory but recommended. The step means clubs can reopen as normal from February and big events can go ahead.

In spite of high infection numbers, the Omicron variant was causing less severe cases in Denmark, with the number of patients in intensive care units and on ventilators at a relatively low level.

Denmark has been setting new records for infection numbers for days. On Wednesday, the country counted 46,747 new cases.

Denmark’s disease control institute Statens Serum Institute said the number of severe cases was declining.

(dpa/NAN)