Coronavirus Easter in Denmark: Shopping, prayers, beer and sex

A few days ago, when Tanja Wadmann Gade saw many tourists on the west coast of Jutland who were not complying with the government’s restrictions on social distancing, she posted a video from her car on Facebook (DK) to refresh their memory. “What the hell is going on here?” it began. Most of the 2,000 comments on the post were favorable, but many weren’t. Gade finally decided to remove the video and posted a second one in which she explained that “when disagreement becomes hate, you have to draw the line and put an end to it.”

On Easter weekend in Denmark, Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday are holidays. That means that people are used to shopping heavily at supermarkets and other stores on Saturday. Many customers at Bilka, the country’s answer to Walmart, were shocked at the crowds (DK). “It was like Christmas shopping. . . . If I get the coronavirus, it will be today.” Bilka’s management said that it had posted the government’s guidelines on social distancing, that staff were assigned to enforce them, and that the police had been to several branches to check that conditions were satisfactory.

Drive-in worship, open bar

Ordinary Easter church services were canceled this year because of the lockdown, but several congregations held drive-in services (DK) in their parking lots. Churches in Aarhus went together on a joint service at a drive-in movie theater. Attendees sang hymns in their cars and honked their horns in unison during the service.

There was a long line in front of the Admiral pub in Silkeborg, Jutland, which gave away a supply of draft beer (DK) that was passing its sell-by date because the pub has been closed during the lockdown. People seemed to be in a festive mood as they showed up with pitchers from home. The pub’s owner, Kenn Jørgensen, had posted signs reminding people to keep two meters’ distance from one another and let only a few into the pub at a time, but many people stood close together. The police were on hand to see that things didn’t get out of control. “We have put the place on the map,” said Jørgensen.

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, the administration held a meeting with right-wing opposition parties to negotiate the reopening the healthcare system (DK). The latter were dissatisfied with the administration’s lack of concrete measures to reestablish patient rights and broke off the negotiations. The healthcare system has suspended much of its normal operations in order to manage the demands of the Covid-19 epidemic, but it now has vacant capacity. The opposition says it wants more than vague statements of intentions and wants private hospitals to be used to handle the demand that has accumulated since the lockdown went into effect.

Passing the time in captivity

It’s no surprise that some shifts take place in the economy during the lockdown. The airlines are struggling; sales of protective gloves and toilet paper are soaring. Another business that’s doing very well is sex toys. In the first week of April, Sinful, the biggest retailer in the field in Scandinavia, saw revenues double over the level last year. Its line of multiple-day challenges is especially popular. The company’s founder, Mathilde Mackowski, is glad that she can offer something that helps people get through the crisis.