Coronavirus DK: The facemask debate continues

The number of infections in Denmark has been rising steadily for three or four weeks, and more and more governments around the world are requiring that people wear masks in public. Denmark still doesn’t require them except in special situations where people might have been exposed, but some politicians and researchers are beginning to speak of a general requirement. Michael Bang Petersen, Professor of Political Science at Aarhus University, says that masks could be the next step in the management of the pandemic. 

A matter of time
Bang Petersen has studied Danes' behavior, opinions and feelings during the coronavirus crisis and believes the authorities should prepare people for wearing masks (DK). “There is now a relatively broad consensus in other places that masks work,” says Bang Petersen. “I would therefore expect that there would be strong political pressure to recommend masks as a first layer of protection if there is a second wave.”

Masks are required on roller coasters. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen © Scanpix.

The EU has recently recommended that people wear masks on trains and in railway stations. Denmark’s Red-Green Party proposed that masks be required on public transport (DK). “There is a group of citizens who are actually excluded from using public transportation [because of the risk of infection],” says Peter Hvelplund, the party’s health spokesperson, “and therefore the Health Minister and Minister of Transport must find a solution.”

Not a second wave
Most of the parties are in favor of a recommendation to wear masks but do not believe it is necessary to make them mandatory while the infection rate remains low. “Masks are an option, but there is of course a tradeoff with the inconvenience of wearing them all the time,” says Stinus Lindgreen of the Social Liberal Party. 

Søren Brostrøm, the head of the Health Authority, says that at present there is no value in requiring masks (DK) in order to reduce infections. “We are following the figures closely across the country and locally in order to see whether we should use the tools we have in our toolbox,” says Brostrøm. “We don’t have anything against masks in principle. . . . We are ready if the situation requires it.” But he describes the latest rise in cases as a “flare-up” rather than the beginning of a second wave. 

Use the app
More than 820,000 people have now downloaded the contact-tracing app, Smittestop. But only 207 have registered having the infection. That is far from enough (DK), says Thomas Benfield, Professor of Infectious Disease Medicine at Hvidovre Hospital. “We should register four or five times as many before it becomes optimal.” The app did not become available until after the number of cases had already been reduced greatly. The delay in the rollout occurred because of concerns about privacy.

Coronavirus DK: Reversals in both Lockdown-gate and EU deal

On Saturday another piece of news came out about Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s decision to implement a strict lockdown (DK). As explained yesterday, Frederiksen said that the policy had been determined on the basis of “recommendation of the authorities.” But a recently discovered email from her closest healthcare advisor, Søren Brostrøm, had actually advised against closing the schools and day care centers. Frederiksen faces renewed criticism and questions about the specifics of these “recommendations.”

Kåre Mølbak at a coronavirus press conference. Photo: Niels Christian Vilmann, Ritzau Scanpix.

Now Kåre Mølbak, the director of Statens Serum Institut (SSI), the agency responsible for preparedness against infectious diseases, says in an email to the daily Politiken (DK, paywall) that he supported the administration’s decision. Mølbak was also one of the administration’s closest advisors during the worst period of the epidemic and appeared with Frederiksen and Brostrøm in several press conferences.

An “authority” comes forth
“For me it was essential that the government was prepared to maintain the comprehensive effort that was presented to me on March 11 until after Easter,” wrote Mølbak. “According to SSI’s assessment, this long-term perspective was necessary in order to bring the epidemic under control.”

In his March 11 email, Brostrøm had stated that he had “discussed” his conclusion with Mølbak, but Mølbak now says that at the time he did not share Brostrøm’s concerns about a lockdown. So it appears that Frederiksen has acquired at least one “authority” for her policy and may therefore escape the insinuations of dishonesty and deceit from the opposition parties that became more pointed after the disclosure of Brostrøm’s email.

Don’t celebrate yet, prime ministers
The historic agreement that European Union leaders recently reached on the next seven-year budget and emergency pandemic aid for southern Europe is now in doubt. The deal must be approved by the European Parliament, and at present, a large majority of the Parliament is against it. They voted 465-150 for a provisional resolution to reject the budget (DK).

They have several reservations. According to Manfred Weber, the chair of the Christian Conservative group, the Parliament’s largest bloc, more money in the budget should be directed toward research, healthcare and the EU’s outer borders. Along with other factions, Weber also insists that the disbursements to member states be contingent on adherence to the “European spirit,” that is, to democratic principles. 

No money for autocrats
“It is completely clear for us socialists,” said Iratxe Garcia Perez of the Social Democratic group, “that not a single euro should go to the governments that do not fully respect the rule of law and the fundamental values of the Union.” These are allusions to the infringement of freedom of the press and judicial independence in Hungary and similar tendencies in Poland. Those two countries succeeded avoiding immediate sanctions that affect their receipt of EU funds.

The resolution isn’t binding. The final vote is not scheduled to take place until the end of September.

Editorial note
You may have noticed that the news about the epidemic in Denmark has become less dramatic in recent weeks as the spread of infections remains under control despite the gradual relaxation of lockdown restrictions. There is no longer much need for these updates on a daily basis, so from now on, they will appear less frequently and may treat other topics besides the coronavirus. If there is a second wave that causes great disruption again, as is happening now in some locales, they can resume. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading.

Coronavirus DK: Justification for lockdown questioned again

The tabloid B.T. has discovered an email message that throws further doubt (DK) upon Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s justification for locking down Denmark in mid-March. The email, which was sent from Søren Brostrøm, head of the Health Authority, only seven hours before Frederiksen’s historic announcement of the lockdown, recommends not closing schools and day care centers. It states that “children are not expected to cause a significant spread of the virus” and the negative effects of the closure would outweigh the positive ones.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Photo: Niels Christian Vilmann © Scanpix.

At the press conference, Frederiksen said that she was ordering the lockdown “on the recommendation of the authorities.” She has been questioned about the decision earlier. At a meeting requested by the opposition parties held on June 9, she reiterated that it was based on the recommendations of a “broad group of authorities” without specifying who or what she was referring to. The issue is important, says Sten Brønsing, Professor of Constitutional Law at Aalborg University, because ministers may not justify political decisions (DK) on the basis of recommendations of government officials if such recommendations have not been made.

Come clean, Mette
Now three opposition parties are demanding a clear explanation (DK): “We hope that she will realize on her own that it is reasonable to explain to the Danes why she said something that is not true,” says Peter Skaarup, leader of the Danish People’s Party parliamentary group. The effect of Frederiksen’s press conference was to “deceive the Danes,” continues Skaarup. “It cannot be interpreted otherwise.”

(Commentators have noted that both the administration and opposition parties have begun referring to the population as “the Danes” rather than “citizens” or “people.” Some have attributed populist, even subtly racist intentions to this usage, which might imply that a certain segment consists of real, ethnic Danes.)

Ratcheting up the rhetoric to “not honest”
The Liberal Party is demanding a written report (DK) from the prime minister and threatening to call for another investigatory meeting. “It is wrong that the prime minister in the beginning was not honest and did not say that this was a political decision,” says Karen Ellemann, the acting political spokesperson for the Party. “We have asked several times who had recommended [the lockdown].” The Conservative Party is also criticizing Frederiksen for not being forthcoming.

In none of these accusations did the opposition say that the lockdown was wrong or was a bad decision. They did not contain any evaluation of the administration’s lockdown policy itself or its consequences in comparison with results in countries that did not implement similar restrictions. The opposition pressured the government to relax restrictions earlier than it had planned, but Frederiksen has had a high approval rating in opinion surveys throughout the crisis.

She is away on vacation at present. Her office refers inquiries to the explanation given at the June 9 meeting. Parliament has appointed a commission that will evaluate the entire management of the coronavirus crisis. 

Coronavirus DK: Rise in infections may delay phase 4 reopening

The number of infections in Denmark has been rising (DK) in the past month, and some are becoming concerned. The level had been rather low for a long time, and although the rise has not been drastic, it has been steady in the period since the borders were opened. In week 27, which began on Monday, June 29, there was an average of 18 confirmed cases per day. In week 28, the number rose to 24, and last week it hit 34. So far this week, the level is 43.

On Thursday, Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke commented on the increase (DK) in a Facebook post. He wrote that the situation is still under control but urged people to observe the Health Authority’s guidelines. There have been no large outbreaks, added Heunicke, and the Patient Safety Authority, which is responsible for contact tracing, reports that the rise in cases is not owing to increased testing. 

Nevertheless, Heunicke notes that new lockdowns have become necessary in several places, such as Spain, Australia and the US, and urges Danes to be more cautious: “Maybe we have succeeded so well that people have begun to slack off a little on the good habits that keep the virus down. That must not happen. We must not put everything in jeopardy at any price.”

Few new hospitalizations
The most significant aspect of the situation, according to Henrik Nielsen, head doctor at Aalborg University hospital, is that the number of hospitalized and ICU patients has not followed the trend in infections. There is usually a lag of about two weeks between a rise in infections and increased hospitalizations, but the latter have held steady at a low level. Yesterday the total rose from 16 to 19, but it has been below 20 for two weeks. 

Phase 4 of the reopening is scheduled to begin on August 4, with the reopening of nightclubs, concert halls, and other venues where people congregate at close quarters. “We can’t see from the figures whether that will lead to a new wave,” says Nielsen.

The virus loves to party
The trend has led to a division between the two sides of the political spectrum (DK). The left wing wants to reconsider the planned phase 4 reopening. “It is very worrying,” says Peder Hvelplund, the healthcare spokesperson for the Red-Green Party. “It is crucial that we intervene early.”

Giving "disco fever" a new meaning. Photo: Mogens Flindt, Scanpix Danmark.

“Nightclubs could be something that I think it isn’t certain that it is wise [to reopen],” says Kirsten Normann Andersen of the Red-Green Party. She notes that it is especially difficult to trace contacts when you are close together with a crowd of strangers.

Typical political schism
Not all the parties are alarmed, however. “An increase was expected because we are opening further and people are traveling both in and outside the country,” says Stinus Lindgreen of the Social Liberals. “We have seen before that there is a rise and then it falls again.” Karen Ellemann of the Liberal Party agrees: “With these figures I don’t see a cause for concern because there is nothing to indicate that they are out of control.”

The Ministry of Health offered no further comments except to say that the government would discuss the phase 4 reopening with the other parties after the summer vacation. But the Foreign Ministry has just updated its travel advisory and now discourages unnecessary travel to Bulgaria (DK), where young people flock to beach resorts.

Coronavirus DK: Disappearing jobs, equipment and ice

Statistics Denmark reports that 87,000 jobs disappeared (DK) in the spring. “That is an insane number,” says Las Olsen, Chief Economist at Danske Bank. “We’ve never seen anything like it before.” It reverses all the employment growth since late 2017. The worst hit sectors are commerce and transport, which together accounted for half of the decline. Next come culture, leisure and other services, which experienced the largest percentage drop. The figures are rather uncertain, however, and actually higher, says Olsen, because people who are receiving wage compensation are not included.

Selective rebound expected
The decline is not as large as when 200,000 lost their jobs during the financial crisis, but it has taken place much more quickly. On the other hand, the recovery should also come faster as businesses and other organizations reopen. Certain industries, such as hospitality and entertainment, will not recover for a couple of years, however, and some people will need to shift to other fields in order to find work, concludes Olsen.

Disappearing PPE
Something else has vanished in large volumes since March – personal protective equipment. The police have registered 29 cases of sanitizer, face masks and gloves being stolen (DK) from hospitals, nursing homes and shops since March, and they treat them very seriously: “We did it especially in the start, because at that point we were in an acute situation where it was possible Denmark would run out of protective equipment,” said Søren Enevoldsen, deputy inspector with the National Investigatory Center. These crimes have received special attention because in April Parliament passed a bill that made the punishment for offenses related to the coronavirus epidemic four times as high as usual.

Mobile supply cabinets are a target for PPE thieves. Photo: (C) DR Nyheder.

This meant that someone who steals, say, DKK 10,000 ($1,500) worth of supplies from a hospital could get the same sentence as someone charged with assault with a knife. The reasoning is that both actions could put someone’s life in danger. At one point, one quarter of nursing home employees were reporting a shortage of PPE. A man who committed theft from a hospital, for example, was sentenced to four months in prison. Few offenders have been sentenced, though, because many of the arrests took place before the increased penalty went into effect. 

Glaciers disappearing, but Greenland will remain
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo came to Copenhagen on Wednesday and assured the nation that the US is ready to fight in the Arctic for the people of Denmark. “We have all been a little bit naïve to watch not only the Russians but also the Chinese interests there become more and more aggressive.” As the glaciers in the Arctic melt, more opportunities for military patrolling as well as trade open up. One month ago, the US opened a new consulate in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, and made a commitment to invest in the strategically important region.

Pompeo affirmed that Denmark continues to be one of America’s closest allies: “We are two nations that are both robust democracies.” On that topic, he didn't mention his boss’s refusal to say that he would abide by the presidential election results in November. On the positive side, neither did he repeat Trump’s attempt to buy the autonomous territory.

Coronavirus DK: EU recovery package – the ugly sides

On the day after the EU agreement, the more critical analyses appeared. Denmark’s annual contribution to the EU for the relief package and the budget in the coming 7-year period will rise from DKK 19.7 billion ($3 billion) to DKK 24.2 billion ($3.7 billion). PM Mette Frederiksen said it was necessary because of the coronavirus crisis and Brexit. Was the deal worthwhile for Denmark? And for the EU?

Macron, Merkel and others approve the deal. Photo: John Thys/Pool © Scanpix.

Strategy of “miserliness”
Columnist Lars Trier Mogensen emphasizes Frederiksen’s role in the Frugal Four as negotiating for the least possible expense for Denmark (DK). That is, of avoiding joint debt and then minimizing the amount when it couldn’t be avoided. The position goes against social democratic values of generosity and solidarity with less fortunate partners that Frederiksen’s party advocates on the domestic front. It resembles the position of the preceding right-wing government that the Danish Social Democrats criticized, as well as Germany’s earlier insistence on austerity for Greece after the financial crisis. 

But domestic politics trumps international collaboration. That is the perpetual problem and paradox of the EU. The state leaders’ own constituencies reward them not for giving priority to the common good but for being selfish and cheap. The coronavirus crisis has strengthened EU skepticism as some countries experienced catastrophes in their healthcare systems and others closed borders to protect themselves from the spread of the pandemic. 

Frederiksen and her allies succeeded in reducing the amount of aid that the other countries wanted to give southern Europe, and she succeeded in portraying herself as standing up to demands from EU bureaucrats. She appealed to the EU skeptics in the Danish People’s Party, from which the Social Democrats have taken voters recently because of their stricter policies on immigration and refugees. It is a policy of isolationism and “Denmark first,” says Trier Mogensen, and the overall result is that the EU will be weaker because it will take longer for Italy and Spain to recover from the crisis. 

Capitulation to authoritarianism
Marlene Wind, Professor of Political Science and leader of the Center for European Politics at the University of Copenhagen, places a different emphasis on the compromise. She sees the EU’s leaders’ relinquishment of the requirements for democratic principles and institutions in Hungary and Poland as a betrayal of the Union’s founding principles (DK). The two countries threatened to veto the recovery package if their autocratic tendencies were subject to immediate sanctions and succeeded in obtaining a more complicated review process. Hungary’s emergency law, for example, allows PM Viktor Orban to circumvent parliament and issue decrees, and it has not been discontinued in June as planned. . 

The agreement could thus be celebrated by both those who favored a strengthened union and those who were critical of it. The lesson for Wind, as for Trier Mogensen, is that money is more important than principles. The deal means that the EU will no longer be able to criticize other countries for undemocratic practices and violations of human rights. 

“What is it actually that we agree on, if not democracy?” asks Wind. “Putin and Erdogan and the Chinese will laugh about our autocrats when we criticize them: ’You can’t tell us that judges can’t be jailed and the press can’t be censored when you can’t control your own members.’”

Coronavirus DK: Denmark approves EU relief grants

Very early Tuesday morning the heads of state in the European Union reached a historic agreement on a coronavirus recovery package (DK). The deal consists of EUR 750 billion ($860 billion) in loans and grants to offset the economic damage caused by the pandemic. It was settled after four days of sometimes intense negotiations. The difficulty was owing mainly to the objection of the “frugal four” nations – which included Denmark – to providing grants as well as loans to the hardest-hit countries.

Three of the Frugal Four – PMs Stefan Löfven (Sweden), Sebastian Kurz (Austria), and Mette Frederiksen. Photo: John Thys/Pool © Scanpix.

This is the first time that the EU will issue and be liable for bonds jointly. That is, the first time that the Union has taken joint responsibility for helping individual countries without obligation. During the financial crisis, the Union provided loans to Greece under strict conditions and sent inspectors to conduct investigations on their implementation. In this case, there are also conditions on reforms attached to the grants, but they will not be enforced by external monitoring.

The inevitable compromise
The 23 other countries wanted to use EUR 500 billion for grants, and the four holdouts countered with an offer of EUR 350 billion. The latter were criticized, particularly by French President Emmanuel Macron, for putting the entire European project in danger. The leaders finally reached a compromise of EUR 390 billion along with rebates on the annual contributions of the frugal four.

Denmark’s rebate in the new budget will increase from DKK 1 billion ($150 million) to DKK 2.7 billion ($415 billion). Altogether Denmark’s contribution during the coming budget period will increase, partly because the departure of the UK from the Union raises the expenses for the remaining countries. Denmark receives a rebate because it is a net payor to the budget, meaning that it contributes more than it receives in subsidies.

About the rebate, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, “It indicates that you can fight for both Danish and European interests at the same time. . . . Altogether it is a really, really good agreement for Europe and a really, really good agreement for Denmark.”

Climate and democracy in play
Frederiksen said that it was also in Denmark’s interest (DK) that the southern European countries can recover from the coronavirus crisis. She also commended the increased emphasis on climate and research in the new budget. Another main sticking point was a requirement that the EU's annual disbursements be contingent on countries’ adherence to democratic principles and the rule of law. This was directed particularly at Poland and Hungary, which threatened to veto the relief package and succeeded in forcing a compromise on the measure that weakened the review process.

The fatigued officials were relieved to be able to bump elbows after the last marathon session. "I can’t remember the last time I have been awake for two nights in a row, but it was necessary,” said Frederiksen. “[We] toast not with champagne, but with juice.”

Coronavirus DK: The hazards of hand sanitizer

Since the lockdown was announced on March 11, the number of calls to the central “Poison Hotline” (DK) about hand sanitizer have been five times as high as usual. Most of them concern people who have gotten the alcohol-based liquid splashed in their eyes, and the rest are cases where someone has drunk it. About half of the latter involve children under the age of five. So far, there haven’t been any cases of serious poisoning of children, though, because the taste is bad enough to make them stop drinking it. “But there are some who deliberately consume large amounts, but those are adults with other problems,” says Paul Frost, head doctor at Bispebjerg Hospital who works on the Poison Hotline.

No good deed goes unpunished

The dangers of mistakenly drinking hand sanitizer have had unfortunate consequences for a business that tried to help out during the crisis. When the lockdown took effect, the Wish juice producer from the island of Lolland decided to repurpose its equipment to make sanitizer. Now the Danish Environmental Protection Agency has ordered that the company’s sanitizer be recalled (DK) because it can be mistaken for something consumable. The company stands to lose DKK 2 million USD 300,000) from the recall.

Wish juice and sanitizer (håndsprit). Photo: TV2 News.

“Other companies were able to make a different package with clear labeling and child-protection features,” says Kim Holm Boesen of the EPA. The owners of the company, Allan and Mette Feldt, say that no one has drunk the sanitizer because they thought it was juice. They explain that they would have used different packaging if it hadn’t been a crisis situation but they believe the packaging was adequate. The EPA concedes that no one has been injured from drinking the sanitizer but explains that it has received several referrals from consumers who are worried about the packaging.

Appeal to the court of social media

“It is heartrending, and we feel that we are being punished for being socially conscientious and ready to adjust to the situation,” says Mette Feldt. The Feldts do not intend to comply with the EPA’s order to issue a recall letter to the retail businesses that have bought the sanitizer. Allan Feldt hopes “that the government will say that it’s unfair that we and others who have adjusted our production should be stuck with the bill afterwards.”

The Feldts have shared their frustration with the order on Facebook and have received support from several right-wing politicians (DK) who argue that the Minister of the Environment should give the company dispensation from the packaging rules because of the emergency situation. The couple has reputedly made a fortune from selling Aqua d’Or mineral water.

Worthless or worse

The heavy demand for sanitizer during the epidemic has led to an increase in imports as well as production by beverage companies. The EPA, working with Customs, has inspected 520 tons of hand sanitizer at the border (DK) and rejected 19 tons, some of it because of insufficient labeling and some because it contained no alcohol. Around half of the faulty imports were sent back to their country of origin and half of them were destroyed because they were considered dangerous.

Antiracism DK: Are popsicles complicit in colonialism?

The Washington Redskins. Aunt Jemima. Uncle Ben. Eskimo Pie. And now the Edmonton Eskimos. They’ve all gone to the graveyard of racist brand names. As in the US in the wake of the George Floyd killing and demonstrations, the racism debate can sometimes overshadow the coronavirus pandemic. It was only a matter of time before the nomenclature police would go after Denmark’s ice cream popsicles Eskimo-is (Eskimo ice cream) and Kæmpe Eskimo (Giant Eskimo). The first has capitulated, but the second is still resisting.

Photo: Andreas Hagemann Bro, Scanpix Denmark.

Last week ice cream producer Hansens announced that it was changing the name Eskimo-is (DK) to O’Payo, which is the type of chocolate used in the popsicle. It was with “a certain amount of sadness” that Hansens decided to drop the name of its classic snack, which dated from an “older and more unenlightened time,” the company wrote in a press release. In Denmark, the word is used mainly in reference to Greenlanders, and it is described in the Danish dictionary as “possibly offensive.” Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Greenlanders are Inuit

Since the founding of the Inuit Circumpolar Council in 1977, Greenland’s inhabitants have preferred the term Inuit. They object to “Eskimo,” which was applied to them by colonial powers from outside the polar region, because it has negative connotations from a time when they were a subjugated and oppressed people. Greenland suffers from a number of social problems. It has the highest suicide rate in the world and a high rate of alcoholism.

No complaints from customers

Denmark’s largest ice cream maker, Premier Is, however, does not intend to change the name (DK) of its popular popsicle: “For us Kæmpe Eskimo is nostalgia and the name of an ice cream that consumers love,” said Claus Dahlmann Larsen, commercial manager of the company. “And we haven’t received any referrals at all about it.” Dahlmann Larsen adds that they follow the debate and will listen to objections if they come because they do not wish to be offensive or exclude anyone.

That was only the beginning of the controversy. Both ice cream aficionados and antiracist activists have stormed social media with their clashing opinions. The most dramatic confrontation involved Tina Jakobsen Wilstrup, the owner of Frederiksberg Chokolade, which sells its own version of Eskimo-is: “I think it’s annoying because I don’t associate Eskimo-is with anything negative, it is almost a tribute in my world.”

Free popsicles - courageous or disrespectful?

Jakobsen Wilstrup felt so strongly about the tradition that she offered a free Eskimo-is to customers on Friday. Many customers showed up, not only to get a free snack but also to show their support for the shop: “People can be offended about anything,” says Jonas Bjørneskjold, who came with his wife and two children, and it could lead to a “violation tyranny.” 

But Jakobsen Wilstrup was surprised by other reactions: “I received threats, hate-mail, and my staff were threatened. I was called Nazi pig and a bad speller. . . . I know in my heart that I don’t want to offend anyone.”

Juno Berthelsen, cofounder of the Greenlandic organization Nalik, does not support hate-mail or threats but finds the free ice cream offer disrespectful. Greenlanders are still subject to racism in Denmark, and the word “Eskimo” is used in that context: “Businesses share responsibility for breaking this racist structure. . . . Ice cream is just ice cream, but a word is not just a word.”

Coronavirus DK: Resilience and its perils

Denmark was one of 30 countries that participated in a survey on mental health (DK) designed by the WHO, and the results are in. The study was conducted by Aarhus University. A questionnaire was sent to 2,000 people in two rounds. The first took place in late March, when the coronavirus was at its peak in Denmark - the reproduction rate and the number of deaths per day were at their highest. The second round took place one month later, when the number of infections and deaths were subsiding and the economy was reopening.

The subjects were asked how they felt when they got up in the morning, whether they were optimistic, and whether they felt rested and energetic. The findings from the first round were lower than historical levels. They showed more depression and anxiety. People were worried about both their health and their finances. The results from the second round were significantly higher. The subjects' psychological well-being had already begun to recover.

An adaptive species

While the higher second reading might not seem so surprising to a layperson, the amount and speed of the improvement impressed researchers. It made sense that people recovered their spirits, says Anders Korsgaard, a professor who works at Rigshospital’s Crisis Clinic: “We have an incredible ability to adjust and overcome violent events, crises and accidents. We also know that many people can have a good quality of life even with a chronic affliction such as a serious diagnosis."

Too much of a good thing

But in Denmark you rarely see good news without someone coming afterward with skepticism or dissent. TV2 News ran the headline “Danish coronavirus success can be the cause of a second wave (DK), says researcher.” The researcher is Allan Randrup Thomsen, who has been cited many times during the crisis. After seeing reports this week of crowds gathering at the resort town of Skagen at the northern tip of Jutland, he warned that the positive trend in Denmark may make people think the danger has passed and forget the precautions that have contained the virus thus far.

Randrup Thomsen cautions about the situation in Melbourne, Australia, which has had to implement a lockdown again after its initial success. He notes that crowds can be hotspots in Denmark as well as abroad, and people who are exposed to them should have themselves tested afterward; “In reality it is up to the people themselves what direction the epidemic will take in Denmark. The authorities can’t do much more.”

Mobile test center at a resort in northern Jutland. Photo: Henning Bagger © Scanpix.

1 million tested

Actually, Denmark’s testing program is going well. It has just passed the milestone of 1 million people tested (DK), about 20 percent of the population). Health officials are pleased with the progress: “We are well on our way to finding out how many infections we have in the country and we can find the new infections,” says  Jan Pravsgaard Christensen, Professor of Infection Immunology at University of Copenhagen.

Some 1.3 percent of those tested have been positive for the virus. The number of tests is actually around 1.3 million, since some people have been tested more than once. The number of new infections has been averaging around 22 per day, a manageable level, says Prasgaard Christensen; “We don’t need to worry unless we get several days with 50 to 75 cases.”

Coronavirus DK: Critique of the state as savior

In an opinion piece in the daily Information, former Minister for Technology and Research Tommy Ahlers from the Liberal Party, warns against seeing the containment of the coronavirus as the triumph of the welfare state. Ahlers, who was appointed to the preceding center-right cabinet from the private sector, wants to offer a “conservative answer” (DK) to the prevailing narrative of the coronavirus crisis. In that scenario, a strong, centralized state was necessary to stop the spread of the infection and to support the economy. It fit perfectly with the social democratic worldview, and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen succeeded in portraying the dangers of the situation that required sweeping protections and precautions.

Ahlers acknowledges that such actions were necessary during the outbreak, but criticizes the treatment of the private sector during the reopening phase, which he describes as “absurd theater.” He argues that the precautionary principle was applied too indiscriminately and without adequate consideration of and consultation with the private sector. He gives the example of hotels’ being allowed to open everywhere but in Copenhagen - visitors could simply stay in the suburbs and visit the city during the day. The policy discouraged tourism more than it prevented the spread of the infection.

Who pays for the hospitals and healthcare anyway?
During the current economic recovery from the crisis, Ahlers does not want businesses to be perceived as recipients of support from the state that now must pay their share. They needed temporary support because they cooperated with the government’s lockdown. He repeats the right wing’s general contention that the welfare state depends on the tax revenues generated by the private sector and asserts the need for a balance between the public and private spheres. He argues that a strong market will be crucial in bringing the country back into sound economic growth. It is essential in creating jobs as well as the new technology that is necessary for achieving the government’s ambitions, for example the reduction of carbon emissions.

Smittestop poster: "Take it easy - your privacy is safe." Photo: Smittestop.

Surveillance for you and not for me
A fresh example of the state’s perhaps overstepping its emergency mandate appeared in another Information article. As noted earlier, the Smitttestop contact-tracing app has been downloaded many hundred thousand times, and researchers were satisfied that it played a useful role in limiting the spread of the coronavirus. Now it turns out that employees of the Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs have been forbidden to use the app (DK) on their work phones and tablets because of concerns about data security. Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke has several times assured people that the app was secure and protected users’ privacy.

The problem is with bluetooth. For the app to function and notify users that someone with COVID-19 is in proximity, users must have the bluetooth turned on, and that is what the Foreign Ministry objects to. “Bluetooth is an open channel, and it is relatively easy to penetrate for someone who wants to follow what’s happening,” says Erik Brøgger Rasmussen of the Foreign Ministry. Jesper Lund, chair of the IT Political Association of Denmark, finds the double standard “a little hypocritical.” Heunicke is on vacation and the paper was not able to obtain a response from him.

Coronavirus DK: Masks catching on and also causing complaints

Since the Health Authority recommended the use of face masks in certain situations a few days ago, sales of masks have shot up (DK). They had begun to rise at the beginning of the summer vacation period, and after the announcement they took a further jump, from about 6,000 a week earlier to 41,000 last week. Retailers are restocking. They advise customers to look for the CE label, the certification mark that indicates conformity with safety standards in the European Economic Area, and to follow the instructions on proper use. Masks have been mandatory at the airports since June 15. 

Holdout on recommendation
Denmark is one of the few remaining countries – only 19 in the world – that does not recommend or require that people wear masks in public places The WHO changed its position on the subject recently as studies indicate that asymptomatic or presymptomatic people can spread the virus and masks offer some protection against it. The Danish Health Authority maintains its position (DK) that masks should be worn in situations where you are at risk of having the infection or being exposed to it, for example when traveling home from a high-risk country. 

The Health Authority holds that in other situations masks are a useful supplement if you cannot follow the general recommendations on social distancing and hand hygiene but that they can also increase the risk of infection if not used correctly. Because of the danger posed by incorrect use, it discourages the use of masks on young children (DK) and people with impaired motor skills, cognitive abilities or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Families on the Demon at Tivoli Gardens. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix.

Trouble in vacationland
Also as noted earlier, some amusement parks began requiring that their patrons wear masks when they ride on roller coasters. That is prompting dissatisfaction and complaints (DK) in certain quarters. Five amusement parks in the country are participating in this trial program. Two offer the masks to riders free of charge, and the others charge an extra DKK 5 ($1) for a mask. Since the masks can be used only a single time, the expense can be significant. 

One woman, for example, tweets on behalf of her family of four with a season pass: “We find out that we MUST all ride with masks on the best roller coasters . . . okay, fair enough, we can live with that . . . but fuck no to your taking 5 kroner per mask . . . and then we find out that they can’t even be used again.” Then she proceeds to do the math: 10 rides a day for the family comes to DKK 200 ($30) and nothing left for ice cream, food and drinks. “That’s fucking bullshit.”

Cheaters and scientific skeptics
The price isn’t the only problem with the policy. Some guests notice others using questionable homemade masks such as scarves or re-using them despite the amusement parks’ policy that masks must be an approved type and thrown out after use. Søren Kragelund, the chair of the Danish Amusement Parks Association, is not pleased with the policy either. He is glad that the masks allow patrons to avoid long lines because they can sit close together on the rides. But he doesn’t understand why masks should be necessary when people are on the roller coasters for only a couple of minutes instead of the 15 minutes required when registering exposure to the infection in the recently introduced contact-tracing app.

He can also cite researchers, such as Christine Stabell Benn, an epidemologist at Southern Denmark University, who says there is no evidence that masks work or that they need to be thrown out after one use. Kragelund continues to follow the policy but hopes that the Patient Safety Authority will ease up on the strict rule.

Coronavirus DK: Derivative epidemics

Besides the illness and death caused by the coronavirus, some of the measures to mitigate the pandemic also have harmful effects.

A plague of noise
Since the coronavirus epidemic began in Denmark, police have received an increased number of complaints about noisy neighbors and private parties (DK). When restaurants and bars are required to close at midnight, people often continue their socializing elsewhere, in their yards in the suburbs and small towns and in parks or on apartment balconies in the cities. And with the temperature up, people who entertain indoors keep their windows open.

The number of reports has risen 74 percent over the level last year. It is mainly young people with boomboxes who feel a need to congregate at high volume, say the police. The King’s Garden in Copenhagen began closing its gates earlier than usual, at 8 p.m., because “we had to signal that it must not be turned into a festival site,” said Niels Mellergaard of the Palaces and Culture Agency.

Photo by Rajas Chitnis on Unsplash.

CPH hires party monitors
The problem has become so bad in Copenhagen that the city has hired a troop of security guards (DK) to ensure that parties don’t cause sleep deprivation for their neighbors. The police had received complaints about clubs in the city center for years, but “this year the situation is especially bad because the corona restrictions have canceled music festivals and concerts, and bars close earlier or are completely closed,” says Nicolaj Vingtoft Hansen of the Muncipality of Copenhagen. The security guards will be sent out to spots in the city where students and other young people tend to congregate late into the night, and they will advise people to observe pandemic guidelines as well as to moderate their noise level.

Upsurge in waistlines
Three Danish researchers are warning of a secondary epidemic that the coronavirus is exacerbating: overweight and obesity (DK). “Obesity is not just a matter of how much we eat but also our social and psychological conditions,” says Michael Bang Petersen, a professor at Aarhus University who studies biological psychology. “Economic and psychological uncertainty, unemployment and the like cause the body to react with stress and increase fat reserves,” adds Thorkild L. Sørensen, professor at the Metabolism Center at University of Copenhagen.

People are also less active because they are staying home. A study by the Sports Research Institute shows that 38 percent of adults in Denmark have stopped exercising during the crisis. Fitness World, the largest gym chain in the country, reports that it normally would have had 7 million visits in the months when it was closed during the lockdown.

Welfare state mitigates the worst effects
The researchers note, however, that in Denmark the problem is relatively mild because the country’s social welfare system enables it to avoid the worst effects of the pandemic on health. “The greater equality in society and the more security we provide people who are at risk of having their livelihood threatened by the coronavirus, the better,” says Christopher Clemmensen, who studies obesity at the University of Copenhagen. 

Around 51 percent of Danes are overweight, that is, have a BMI above 25, and 17 percent are obese, with a BMI above 30. In comparison, the obesity rate for Germans is 25 percent. In the US, where the obesity rate is over 40 percent and has been a glaring problem for decades, the concerns have focused on the increased risk of death it poses for patients with COVID-19.

Coronavirus DK: Travel industry caught in a holding pattern

Copenhagen’s Kastrup Airport had expected a drop in business during the coronavirus crisis, but its size was a shock. The airport has seen a 95 percent decline in passengers (DK) in comparison with the same period last year, it reported in a press release. Even though Denmark has now opened its borders for travelers from many countries, the airport expects business to be down around 85 percent for the summer. That means a loss of some 1.5 million tourists and business travelers. The decline affects airlines, hotels and restaurants as well.

This trend puts the airport in a “deep crisis,” says business commentator Ole Krohn from TV2 News: “It will be a couple of years before it is back to the same level from before the coronavirus crisis.” The same forecast applies to other airports in Europe.

Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen © Scanpix.

Thousands waiting for refunds

Meanwhile, SAS, the largest airline in Scandinavia, is swamped with requests for refunds for canceled flights (DK). According to EU rules, airlines are supposed to refund such tickets within seven days, but with thousands of canceled flights and hundreds of staffers sent home, the company  cannot keep up with the requests. “For almost three months, we have canceled around 800 flights a day,” says John Eckhoff, the company’s press officer. So far, SAS has given refunds to about 700,000 customers, with about one-third opting for a voucher to use on another flight within 12 months.

According to an estimate from Norway, SAS owes customers about DKK 5 billion (USD 770 million), which is more than the DKK 4.3 billion that the Danish state has contributed to the plan to rescue the company from bankruptcy. Norwegian Airlines, the second-largest airline in the region, is in the same position. It has refunded DKK 3.2 billion to customers. 

May miss her father’s funeral

One of the people waiting for a refund is Ingileif Gísladóttir (DK). She had booked five round-trip tickets so that at Easter her family could visit relatives in Iceland, where her father was seriously ill. When the pandemic hit, the flight was canceled, and then to make things worse, her father died on April 7, when her family should have been there with him. Now she is hesitating before buying tickets so that she can attend her father’s funeral because she has no idea when she will receive the refund for the first set of tickets. 

“You must fill out a form that was hard to find - it was like a labyrinth tracking it down,” says Gísladóttir. Then it was hard to get hold of a service representative, who was not very helpful. “I think it was bad, bad service.” When asked whether customers would receive their refunds before the end of the year, SAS’s Eckhoff said that he could not give an estimate.

Stranded at dock
Another overlooked class of people who haven’t been able to travel home to see their families is sailors. One of them was Captain Jens Holstrøm Andersen, who went onboard the Pacific Dragon ship in February, expecting to be at sea for only two months. He had been confined on the ship at harbor in Egypt (DK) and elsewhere indefinitely because no countries would let the crew in. Shipping companies were also reluctant to take new crews onboard because of the risk of infection. Some 400 Danes and perhaps a total of 200,000 sailors in the world are in the same situation, says the Lederne Søfart (Maritime Leaders) organization. Holstrøm Andersen was finally able to return to his family because Denmark gave him status as an “essential worker.”