Denmark to impose nationwide lockdown as COVID-19 daily infections hit record high

COPENHAGEN - Denmark will impose a nationwide lockdown from Dec 25 to Jan 3 to curb the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on Wednesday.

All shopping malls in Denmark will be closed as soon as Thursday. In addition, the retail trade, with the exception of supermarkets, grocery stores and pharmacies, will have to close from Christmas Day until the New Year, said prime minister during an early evening press conference on Wednesday.

The prime minister also promised that, in light of the new situation, the government would act immediately to reach an agreement on aid packages for the industries affected by the closures.

The latest round of restrictions comes on the heels of the government's decision on Tuesday to extend partial restrictions to all 98 municipalities in the country from Wednesday.

The country reported a record 3,692 new COVID-19 infections during the past 24 hours, according to the Statens Serum Institut's update on Wednesday.