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.