Coronavirus DK: Stopping infections at protests and mink farms

Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke says that the health authorities will issue guidelines for large political demonstrations (DK) in order to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. At least one person who attended the Black Lives Matter demonstration on June 7, along with 15,000 others, has tested positive, and other people who were part of the closely packed crowd are urged to be tested. 

Event arrangers “will get a very concrete evaluation from the Danish Patient Safety Authority on how they should conduct the demonstration purely from a healthcare perspective,” said Heunicke. He stressed that this measure will not abridge people’s constitutional right to stage political demonstrations, which are the only exceptions allowed to the restrictions on the number of people who may attend gatherings. On June 8 the limit on gatherings was raised from ten to 50.

More requests for tests

Since Heunicke urged demonstration participants to be tested, the number of referrals for tests has risen (DK). The day after, there were 400 more bookings than usual. “I thought it was an opportunity to take responsibility for what I did and to see whether or not I have been infected,” said one person at the Test Center, who had worn a face mask and tried to keep a distance from other demonstrators. Despite the rise in bookings for the tests in the capital region, the testing is still below capacity.

Flashmob with precautions

BLM was to hold another demonstration (DK) on Thursday, and the spokesperson for the organization, Bwalya Sørensen, says that it would use special measures to prevent the spread of the virus. It bought 250 face masks, it had lots of sanitizer, and it would divide participants up into groups of 50 or fewer. “We have chosen a flashmob instead of a demonstration,” said Sørensen. “We have done it simply to keep the number of participants down.” More than 100 people have signed up for the event. 

After the demonstration on June 7, Sørensen received criticism for issuing restrictions on the behavior of white people at the event. The Ritzau news agency wanted to ask her whether the guidelines would also apply at the new demonstration, but she hung up the phone.

Virus infiltrates key export product

A coronavirus outbreak has been identified in a new location, a mink farm in northern Jutland (DK). The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has tested 34 mink and placed restrictions on the farm. The herd in question will be slaughtered, and the farm will be quarantined. Mink breeding is an important industry in Denmark, which is the largest mink breeder in the world, with almost 1,400 mink farms.

This is the first time the coronavirus has been discovered at one of them. The infection probably came from an employee or the owner the farm, say the authorities.There were coronavirus outbreaks at two mink farms in the Netherlands in April. 

“We will be completely certain that we do all that we can to limit the infection,” said Mogens Jensen, Minister of Environment and Food, “also among mink.” The ministry is investigating how the infection arose and preparing a testing strategy for other mink farms in the region, among other measures. Healthcare researchers are not worried (DK) that the infection will spread from mink to people and say that pet owners shouldn’t be afraid that their dogs and cats will make them sick.