Coronavirus DK: Summer traffic, youth programs, test milestone

Saturday was the start of the summer vacation period in Denmark. Schools had just closed for the summer, and the government approved travel to most EU countries. It was also skiftedag (changing-day) at summer house resort regions, the day of the week when  rentals start – last week’s renters leave and the new week’s arrive.

There was traffic advisory for the highways (DK) because many people have chosen to spend their vacation in Denmark and others are heading to Germany, one of the original three countries approved for summer travel. They’re driving because the destinations are close and there’s less risk of infection in comparison with sitting on a plane and passing through crowded airports. So they encountered lines on the main roads out of Copenhagen and at the German border.

Here you can read the official rules and guidelines for travelers entering Denmark (in English).

More soldiers and students

The Danish military services (DK) have increased the number of recruits they will take this year and next in order to give opportunities to young people who are not able to pursue other plans. After high school, many young Danes take a gap year to travel or study abroad, and this year they aren’t able to. Youth unemployment always rises in times of crisis, and it is important to help young people get a good start in life, said Defense Minister Trine Bramsen: “Training in the Defense Forces opens doors in life, and therefore I think we should contribute to the current challenge.” 

The number of additional spots is only about 150; it is limited by the availability of training facilities and instructors. Last year there was a total of about 5,000 recruits in the Defense Forces and the Emergency Management Agency. Earlier, Danish universities announced that they were adding 5,000 spots in technical and health care programs in order to accommodate young people who have trouble finding work during the recession.

More tests

More than 1 million tests (DK) for the coronavirus have now been performed in Denmark. In the beginning of the outbreak, people with symptoms were encouraged simply to self-quarantine, but after pressure from the WHO and others, the Health Authority stepped up its testing program significantly. It set up temporary tents in several cities and offered tests to anyone who suspected they had been exposed to the virus in an effort to gain a more complete idea of the extent of the infection.

The 1-million figure doesn’t mean that 1 million people have been tested, though, because some have been tested more than once. Around 800,000 people have been tested out of the population of 5.8 million. The testing has identified 12,675 cases, and the number of hospitalized patients has fallen to a mere 31.

More protest infections

One of the recent findings of the testing program is the infections stemming from the Black Lives Matter (DK) demonstration on June 7. The event caused concern because it was attended by some 15,000 people, many of them standing close together and chanting and few of them wearing masks. The number of new infections identified from the demonstration has remained low, however. It has now risen to 10 or 12, although it is unknown how many who attended have been tested.