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Denmark is set to lift all Covid-19 restrictions on February 1, Reuters reported.

The country's Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, was quoted by AP News as saying that mask usage will cease to be mandatory.

Nightclubs will also be able to re-open, restaurants can serve alcohol beyond 10pm, and patrons will no need to present vaccine passes at entry to such locations, along with museums and cafes.

The government will only recommend the use of masks at hospitals, healthcare facilities and homes for the elderly.

Frederiksen said, "We say goodbye to the restrictions and welcome the life we knew before. As of February 1, Denmark will be open."

Denmark's PM: Omicron cases are surging but it is not placing a burden on healthcare system

The Prime Minister added that while Omicron cases are surging in Denmark, it is not placing a heavy burden on the healthcare system and the country has a high vaccination rate, AP News further reported.

As for the new sub-variant of Omicron detected in Denmark, known as BA.2, the country's Health Minister, Magnus Heunicke, said that it appears more contagious, but not more severe, according to Reuters.

He said that while Denmark has recently been seeing an average daily caseload of more than 46,000, only 40 people are in intensive care units, compared to 80 a few weeks ago.

Bloomberg reported that while Denmark has 1 million cases in the past two months alone, the rate of hospitalisation is declining and that the country currently has 44 patients in intensive care, down from 73 two weeks ago.

The Prime Minister added, "It may seem strange that we want to remove restrictions given the high infection rates. But fewer people become seriously ill."

Frederiksen has warned that infections might spike in the coming weeks however, and that a fourth shot of the Covid-19 vaccine might be necessary.

Heunicke has also urged the public to be regularly tested for Covid-19 so as to help maintain the country's epidemic surveillance.

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Top photo by Ava Coploff via Unsplash