SJAELLANDS ODDE, Denmark ¨C Aboard a ferry heading to Denmark¡¯s second-largest city earlier this month, Allan Hjorth stood out. He was one of just a few passengers to wear a mask, while hundreds of others left their faces uncovered, enjoying the end of COVID-19 restrictions announced a few days earlier.
¡°The mere fact of wearing a mask makes people feel that something is wrong,¡± Hjorth said. He took his own off after a few seconds and added, ¡°And we, in Denmark, want to believe that we are going back to normal.¡±
Nearly two years into the pandemic, ¡°normal¡± looks like this in one of the world¡¯s most prosperous nations: 5.8 million people live free of COVID-19 restrictions, even though nearly 1% of them tested positive for the coronavirus in a single day earlier this month. The country is reporting one of the world¡¯s highest COVID-19 cases per capita, and hospitalizations have reached an all-time high.
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