<p> Wiping away tears, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday personally apologised for the handling of a crisis where a mutated version of the new coronavirus prompted the government to cull of millions of minks bred on farms.</p>.<p>The head of government was visiting a mink farmer in the municipality of Kolding, whose animals were euthanized despite being healthy, even though it was later proved the government had no legal right to do so.</p>.<p>"I don't have any issues with apologising for the course of events, because mistakes have been made," Frederiksen, told broadcaster TV2.</p>.<p>Visibly emotional, Frederiksen paused several times to wipe away tears, and stressed that it was important to remember that it was not the fault of breeders.</p>.<p>"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.</p>.<p>In early November, Denmark -- which is the world's largest exporter of mink fur -- announced it would cull all of the country's more than 15 million minks after a mutated version of the novel coronavirus was discovered and believed to jeopardise the effectiveness of future vaccines.</p>.<p>However, a few days later the government acknowledged it did not have a sufficient legal basis to order the measure.</p>.<p>Agriculture Minister Mogens Jensen apologised and ultimately resigned last week.</p>.<p>Following Jensen's resignation, the Ministry of Health concluded that the potential threat to human vaccines was "very likely extinguished", in the absence of any new cases of the mutated version.</p>.<p>According to the latest tally, more than two thirds of the estimated 15 to 17 million minks in the country have already been culled.</p>
<p> Wiping away tears, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday personally apologised for the handling of a crisis where a mutated version of the new coronavirus prompted the government to cull of millions of minks bred on farms.</p>.<p>The head of government was visiting a mink farmer in the municipality of Kolding, whose animals were euthanized despite being healthy, even though it was later proved the government had no legal right to do so.</p>.<p>"I don't have any issues with apologising for the course of events, because mistakes have been made," Frederiksen, told broadcaster TV2.</p>.<p>Visibly emotional, Frederiksen paused several times to wipe away tears, and stressed that it was important to remember that it was not the fault of breeders.</p>.<p>"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.</p>.<p>In early November, Denmark -- which is the world's largest exporter of mink fur -- announced it would cull all of the country's more than 15 million minks after a mutated version of the novel coronavirus was discovered and believed to jeopardise the effectiveness of future vaccines.</p>.<p>However, a few days later the government acknowledged it did not have a sufficient legal basis to order the measure.</p>.<p>Agriculture Minister Mogens Jensen apologised and ultimately resigned last week.</p>.<p>Following Jensen's resignation, the Ministry of Health concluded that the potential threat to human vaccines was "very likely extinguished", in the absence of any new cases of the mutated version.</p>.<p>According to the latest tally, more than two thirds of the estimated 15 to 17 million minks in the country have already been culled.</p>