The corona situation affects the European Handball Championship in Denmark and Norway in December.

Fredrikshamn, where Sweden was supposed to play the initial group game, can no longer arrange matches due to new restrictions in northern Jutland.

"I am sorry that we need to give up Fredrikshamn as a venue, but I am convinced that we will find a new place," said the chairman of the Danish Handball Association in a statement.

EHF confirms

The European Handball Federation (EHF) confirms that Fredrikshamn will be deleted as the European Championship venue.

"Following the Danish government's announcement this week regarding stricter corona restrictions in northern Jutland, EHF has received a request to remove Fredrikshamn as a venue," it writes on its website.

It is the mutated coronavirus that has spread from minks that puts a stop to it.

Seven municipalities in northern Jutland, one of them Fredrikshamn, have closed down and strict restrictions have now been introduced.

To date, twelve people in Denmark have been infected by the mutated virus.

Moving to Herning?

Sweden's group should have been decided in Fredrikshamn on 3-7 December.

Other teams in the group are Russia, Czech Republic, Spain.

- We will see what there are for alternative venues, but I would guess that it will be Herning where the other group plays, says Swedish national team manager Hanna Fogelström to TT.

In Herning, another of the championship's four groups is played.

This is also where Sweden may move when advancing to the intermediate round.

Federation captain Tomas Axnér says that it is a good alternative even for the first group game.

- For us, I think it will be easier, says Tomas Axnér to Sydsvenskan.

In connection with the discovery of the mutating virus, the Danish government announced that all minks in Denmark will be killed.

Even in Norway, the other host country, the situation is uncertain.

The European Handball Championship has not yet received an exception from the restrictions, which right now say that if a player in a team tests positive for the coronavirus, the entire team and the opposing team must be quarantined.

Next week, information is expected from Norwegian authorities.