Tearful Danish PM apologises for botched handling of Covid mink crisis

Mette Frederiksen was meeting a mink farmer whose healthy animals were put down

Denmark's Prime Minister was in tears on Thursday as she apologised over the government's botched handling of a crisis when a mutated Covid-19 strain led to the culling of millions of minks bred on farms.

Mette Frederiksen was meeting a mink farmer in Kolding municipality, whose animals were put down despite being healthy, even though it was later proved the government had no legal right to do so.

"I don't have any issues with apologising for the course of events, because mistakes have been made," Ms Frederiksen, told TV2.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (R) and mink breeder Peter Hindbo, walk through an empty farm. EPA

She stopped several times to wipe away tears and said it was important to remember that it was not the fault of breeders.

"It is because of corona and I hope that can be a small light in the dark at this point for Danish mink breeders," she said.

Denmark, which is the world's largest exporter of mink fur, in early November announced it would cull all of its up to 17 million minks after a mutated version of the coronavirus was found.

It was believed to jeopardise the effectiveness of future vaccines.

But a few days later, the government admitted it did not have a sufficient legal basis to order the culling.

Agriculture Minister Mogens Jensen apologised and ultimately resigned last week.

After Mr Jensen's resignation, the Ministry of Health concluded that the threat to human vaccines was "very likely extinguished", with no new cases of the mutated version.

According to the latest tally, more than two thirds of the estimated 15 to 17 million minks in the country have already been culled.