Refugees are welcome in Denmark after all

Note:
This blog is migrating to a new website—markperrino.com—and this is the last post that will appear on this site. Please visit the blog at the new site and subscribe at this address: markperrino.com/blog/

Refugees are welcome in Denmark after all

Refugees welcome here! Denmark has announced that it expects an influx of up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. That’s an enormous increase for a country whose immigration minister said in January that he was pleased there were only 2,095 applications for asylum in 2021.

Ukrainians in Poland boarding a bus to Denmark. Photo: Paw Lindegaard Nielsen © DR.

Denmark has not taken in more than 4,000 refugees in any year since the migration wave from the war in Syria in 2015, when the country received 21,000 asylum applications. Estimates of the number of arrivals range from 20,000 to 30,000. Minister of the Interior Kaare Dybvad Bek expects that it could exceed 40,000 after Easter vacation.

Emergency residency law

Last month Parliament passed a special law to enable Ukrainians to get residency and work permits quickly. It waives the normal limit on residency of 90 days without a visa or an asylum claim, and the Ukrainians thus need not be part of the asylum system. They will also be exempt from the country’s infamous “jewelry law” from 2016, which allowed authorities to confiscate valuables from refugees but perhaps has never been enforced.

The effort will be expensive. It has cost DKK 2 billion so far. Most of these funds have been taken from the government’s foreign aid budget, a tactic that not all parties are happy with. If up to 100,000 refugees come to Denmark, it will cost DKK 8-10 billion per year (DK). Like the rest of the world’s nations, Denmark has already seen its public budget balloon during the pandemic of the past two years. The logistics of the accommodations will also be difficult; there aren’t enough facilities to house a fraction of the number expected. There are also questions about equal treatment and priorities.

Ethnic favoritism?

One might well wonder why the country is so eager to take in Ukrainians when it has been tightening its asylum and immigration regulations for several years. “A series of clever decisions have been made which have continually ensured better control of immigration,” said Immigration Minister Mattias Tesfaye about the decline in asylum applications.

The Social Democratic administration has been criticized by its European counterparts as well as Danish immigration activists for revoking asylum status for Syrian refugees while the situation in Syria remained unstable. Some critics call the difference in policy racist. Is it owing to the fact that Ukrainians are white and Christian, unlike many refugees and migrants from the Middle East, North Africa, and Afghanistan? At a protest demonstration (DK) held on 2 April before the Ministry of Immigration and Integration, a spokesman for the Syrian Refugees in Denmark demanded that all refugees be treated according to the new residency law for Ukrainians.

European solidarity

Testfaye stated that Denmark’s response is appropriate when “a European country is attacked, a country close to us.” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also argued that the situation is different “because Ukraine is our region.… It’s our back yard, if you like.” Pia Olsen Dyhr, the chair of the left-leaning Socialist People’s Party, concurred, asserting mistakenly that “there’s only one country between us and Ukraine, and that’s Poland.” Even the parties that have been most opposed to immigration are ready to welcome Ukrainians, like the others justifying the decision by the concept of nærområde (“nearby area”) and denying that religion plays any role.

The Danish public seems to agree with the view that Ukrainians share European cultural values as exemplified by their interest in joining the EU and NATO and will therefore be easier to integrate. It doesn’t hurt either that they are used to working and that Denmark is experiencing a labor shortage. There have been some difficulties getting refugees from non-Western countries into the labor force.

Inger Støjberg, the former immigration minister who was impeached for abusing her office, disavows the prevailing rationale: “No one dares to say it like it is: It's because the Ukrainians are more like us and because they are primarily Christians."

Now where to put them?

Housing the refugees will be the responsibility of the municipalities. The distribution of refugees (DK) among them depends on how many immigrants from non-Western countries the municipalities already have. Those with many such immigrants will get no Ukrainians. The municipalities where refugees have arrived are scrambling to find accommodations. They use public housing, dormitories, facilities that were set up for Covid-19 isolation, and sports complexes.

Copenhagen Municipality, which has by far the largest number of refugees and has a perennial shortage of low-income housing, is considering building a “pavilion-city” that would house 330 refugees (DK) for three years and include a day-care center. Critics warn against isolating the Ukrainians in another “parallel society.”

Private citizens are also encouraged to take refugees into their homes. They are eligible for compensation of up to DKK 500 ($75) per day, but they receive much less than that. Although the funding comes from the state, it must be administered by the individual municipalities, which set the rates and rules. Some of them hesitate to use the funds at all because the program is difficult to manage and control. Some private citizens who share their homes (DK) with refugees are already becoming impatient with the strain and are asking the municipalities for more help.

Children and accidental guest workers

Housing isn’t the only logistical issue. After the first wave, the residence permit application system became overloaded. People could not get appointments at three of the four regional Citizens’ Services offices, and new offices needed to be set up.

There will be great pressure on schools and day-care institutions. Education Minister Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil is calling for retired teachers and day-care staff (DK) as well as students in relevant programs to assist with the influx. Student associations from the country’s seminaries have expressed a willingness to help. The schools will need to set up special tracks with native-language instruction and recruit Ukrainian teachers and others to staff them.

Filling job vacancies with Ukrainian refugees won’t be a simple matter either. Because of Ukraine’s conscription policy, most of the refugees are women and children. Ukrainian women have been part of the labor force, but it can take time to place them in suitable positions, warns Mads Lundby Hansen from the CEPOS think tank. The benefits for the Danish economy would come over the longer term, he adds, and the Ukrainian ambassador says that Denmark shouldn’t create conditions for Ukrainians to stay here for the rest of their lives. Even if they don’t, perhaps the country should remain prepared for additional surges of refugees in the new global disorder. 

The Putin Referendum & important announcement

Note:
This blog is migrating to a new website—markperrino.com—and will soon stop publication on this site. Please visit the blog at the new site and subscribe at this address: markperrino.com/blog/

The Putin Referendum

Like other European nations, Denmark is supporting Ukraine in its defense against the Russian invasion. It is imposing sanctions, and many companies have stopped Russian operations and trade. It has sent humanitarian and military aid. It is increasing military spending (DK) to 2 percent of GDP, in accordance with NATO policy (albeit slowly—by 2033). It has assented to NATO’s request that it send troops to Latvia. It has agreed to accept 100,000 refugees, a huge increase from the normal level.

Royal Life Guards. Photo by Nick Karvounis on Unsplash

None of these moves has been very controversial. They are backed up by almost all the parliamentary parties and the public. But the Social Democratic administration has also scheduled a referendum on the country’s opt-out from the European Union’s defense program, and this is more problematic. Denmark has rejected four areas of EU collaboration: defense, justice, the euro, and EU citizenship. Danish sentiment for EU membership was conditional upon maintaining this measure of independence. 

What defense collaboration?

The opt-out means that Denmark doesn’t participate in EU defense operations and related aspects of EU foreign policy and security policy. But there has never been an EU army. Any decision on a joint military operation requires unanimous approval, and the individual nations can decide whether to send troops. The opt-out hasn’t received much attention since the Edinburgh Agreement in 1993, and the referendum is controversial for a few reasons.

It is of course opposed by factions that have been against EU membership all along. It also appears to be a hasty reaction to a particular event—Russia’s aggression—rather than a thorough consideration of Denmark’s role in the EU in general. And there is also much uncertainty about what European defense collaboration would entail in concrete terms.

Can Europe count on NATO?

Since World War II, Europe’s defense has been provided by NATO and the United States. Denmark was a founding member of NATO and a loyal follower of US-led military campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. The EU’s collective military does not seem to offer anything beyond NATO’s capabilities. But when Trump trash-talked NATO, some European leaders spoke of Europe’s needing to end its military dependence on the US. Biden has reasserted the US commitment to European security, and NATO has revived since the attack on Ukraine. But there’s no guarantee after the 2024 American election.

The initial opinion poll (DK) on the referendum showed 38 percent in favor of ending the opt-out, 23 percent opposed, and 32 percent undecided. A large majority of Parliament supports it. But the opposition within the administration’s own governing coalition has objected to the formulation of the referendum question (DK), which reads “Do you vote yes or no on whether Denmark can participate in European collaboration on security and defense?”

Voter manipulation

Peter Hvelplund, chair of the Red-Green Party’s parliamentary group, says the phrasing is misleading and “direct cheating.” He prefers that the issue is formulated thus: “Do you want to abandon the defense opt-out?” The new leader of the Danish People’s Party, Morten Messerschmidt, is also convinced that the formulation was intended to frame the issue to favor passage.

The utopian solution

This dissent was no surprise since the platform of the Red-Green Party, whose members still include some diehards from the old DKP (Danmarks Kommunistiske Parti), calls for Denmark to withdraw from NATO (DK) and disband the military. The steering committee’s re-affirmation of this position as recently as March 6 made it difficult for the party chair, Mai Willadsen, to persuade the media (DK) that the party didn’t really want to leave NATO just yet but rather only when conditions in the world make the desertion more practical. 

In early February, during the Russian build-up on the Ukrainian border, the administration announced that it was opening discussions on allowing US troops and military equipment to be stationed in Denmark, as they are in several other NATO countries. The Red-Green Party and the Socialist People’s Party, on whose support the administration also depends, oppose this development (DK) as well. If this bickering is all too predictable, you can watch Danish politicians contending with nothing less than the US, Russia, and China all at once by tuning in to the new season of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s dramatic series Borgen.

New release: Meet the Danes: a novel

Here's my excuse for slacking off on Coronravirus DK earlier this year, when things were going much better in Denmark. I have spent my lockdown time dusting off an old manuscript from the vault and shining it up.

Now I'm publishing my first novel:

 From the back cover:

Meet the Danes is a rollicking satire of 1980s American pop culture disastrously transplanted into the unsuspecting nation of Denmark … and Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy-tale land will never be the same.

When newlywed but jobless academic Norman McKay follows his wife, Kirsten, back to her homeland, he struggles to fit in—until by chance he gets recruited to help launch Denmark’s first commercial television network, DK2. With programming fueled by Norman’s twisted take on American viewing habits, DK2 sparks a culture war that quickly spirals out of control, sowing confusion, political controversy, violent resistance, and murder. Norman’s increasingly desperate attempts to salvage DK2 and prove his goodwill only end up sabotaging his marriage, incurring a centerfold’s wrath, and provoking U.S. military aggression against its puny NATO ally.

Can Norman pull the plug before it’s too late? Television overtakes reality and reality imitates television as the world’s oldest kingdom careens into surrealistic turmoil.

Readers of the blog will find the tone of the book rather different, but I hope you will enjoy it. Please share this announcement with anyone you think might be interested.

Paperback and Kindle editions are available on the Amazon sites—in the US, the UK, and Germany—and the paperback will soon be available on other online bookstores. 

Coronavirus DK: Big shifts in trust in government and the US

Two interesting surveys have just been released, and the results in Denmark have implications for an understanding of the situation in the United States.

One is the annual Tryghedsanalyse (DK) (security survey) conducted by a foundation associated with the Tryg insurance group. It gathered data from both before and after the onset of the coronavirus crisis, ending on May 22. It showed, among other things, that 84 percent of Danes surveyed were very or fairly satisfied with the government’s management of the epidemic. That was the highest rating of any European country. Norway and Finland came next. Toward the bottom were Sweden (55 percent), the UK (45 percent) and France (37 percent). Confidence in all public institutions rose, not only the administration and Parliament but also the police, the courts and the EU.

Rising to the occasion

In a column on Altinget.dk, Lisbeth Knudsen (DK), former editor in chief of a major daily, calls this a significant change in recent Danish politics. It begins, “For years we have discussed what would be necessary to turn around the public’s worrying and growing lack of confidence in politicians. . . . We now have the answer: an enormous, comprehensive health care crisis.” The pandemic showed that the government could respond effectively and collaborate constructively with other parties in Parliament, without the usual bickering and personal attacks.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen succeeded in presenting a narrative that appealed to the country’s social democratic principle of solidarity at a time when many were more insecure than ever about losing their jobs, partly by emphasizing an obligation to protect those who were most vulnerable to the virus. The crisis has strengthened the Social Democrats’ standing in polls, and it has also forced the opposition to take an approach based more clearly on solutions and new ideas rather than tactical criticism.

Litmus test for the world

The results of the poll show an extreme contrast with Donald Trump’s current record-high disapproval rating and Americans’ growing distrust in government. The pandemic has served as a sort of acid test that throws the strengths and weaknesses of all countries into stark relief. This reflects not only on their leaders but also their institutions, such as the CDC, which bungled the testing at the outset of outbreak, despite all its plans and resources.

Former enemy overtakes Cold War champion

The other survey, which was conducted by the independent research institutes Moos-Bjerre and Userneeds and whose results were released in Weekendavisen (DK, paywall), concerns Denmark’s international security alliances. It has more direct relevance to the US, which has been Denmark’s most important ally throughout the Cold War and after. The poll shows that now only 40 percent of Danes surveyed agree with the statement “The USA is Denmark’s most important ally,” while 54 percent now assign that role to Germany. 

In addition, 65 percent believe that “In the future, Denmark  should give priority to collaboration with the other EU countries over collaboration with the USA.” These are historic shifts, and somewhat surprising, since Germany is no military power and Denmark has often taken a dissenting position in the EU, regarding immigration and shared debt for example.

How much blame does Trump deserve?

One can debate how much the development is owing to Trump and his myopic nationalism, particularly his threats to leave NATO. For a while after Trump’s election, most Danes probably agreed with former Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen that “The USA is Denmark’s most important ally – no matter who is in the White House.” Brexit may also have nudged Denmark closer to its continental European neighbors, and Emmanuel Macron’s tribulations may have left Angela Merkel as the clearest leader of what used to be called “the Free World.” But Trump has undoubtedly soured Danes' perception of the US, even though it remains the only superpower in the West. 

Coronavirus DK: Danes most satisfied with pandemic response

As reported by the Copenhagen Post, in a survey of 21 European countries, Denmark ranked the highest in satisfaction with the government’s management of the coronavirus crisis. The survey, entitled “Uncertainty/EU/Hope: Public Opinion in Times of COVID-19,” was commissioned by the European Parliament. It took place in the week ending May 1 and had more than 21,000 respondents.

Some 85 percent of Danes said they were satisfied with the government’s response to the epidemic. Ireland showed the same level, while Spain, Poland and France registered the least satisfaction. The survey covered many parameters. Denmark also recorded the lowest concerns about unemployment (8 percent) and loss of income (14 percent). Spain, Hungary and Greece had the worst results in these categories.

Consistent with earlier economic findings

The results are similar to those from a Eurofound poll conducted earlier in the crisis. That poll indicated that Denmark had the lowest level of job losses in the EU, 9.5 percent versus an average of 28.5 percent in the EU. It also showed that Denmark had the fewest people struggling financially (6.8 percent) and behind on rent or mortgage payments (2.3 percent). Danes also registered the highest level of well-being and life satisfaction, along with trust in the national government.

Survey results for Europe

Here are some of the other main findings from the European Parliament survey (averages for the 21 EU countries as a whole, weighted according to population):

• 50 percent say “Uncertainty” describes their general emotional mood; 41 percent say Hope; the other emotions cited most often were Helplessness (29 percent), Frustration (27 percent), Fear (22 percent), and Confidence (21 percent).
• 58 percent report financial difficulty.
• 53 percent say the health benefits of restrictions outweigh the economic damage.
• 70 percent communicate more often with family and friends.
• 40 percent help others with groceries and other errands; 26 percent receive help from others.
• 57 percent feel dissatisfaction with the solidarity shown among EU member states
• 52 percent are dissatisfied with the measures taken by the EU in response to the crisis.
• 69 percent want the EU to have greater powers to deal with crises like the pandemic.
• 56 percent are satisfied with their national government’s response.
• 41 percent say scientists are the most trusted source of information, vs. 34 percent for national health authorities and 32 percent for the WHO.
• 58 percent say that lockdown restrictions on individual freedoms were justified, while 28 percent were opposed to them.
• 51 percent approved of public authorities using mobile phone apps to monitor the pandemic, while 39 percent were opposed.

The 83-page survey contains detailed results broken down by individual country as well as by other parameters such as age, gender and level of education.

Support for a bigger EU?

The survey concludes by underscoring the dissatisfaction with solidarity among EU member states and a desire for the EU to have greater competencies for dealing with such crises. Its release comes at a time when most EU member states are calling for emergency grants to be made to the countries suffering the worst from the pandemic crisis, while Denmark and three other northern European countries are resisting the measure and favor loans instead of grants.

(Coronavirus DK will take a few days off and return on Sunday.)

Coronavirus DK: Confusion over testing policies at the border

Several political parties are criticizing the government for not following stricter policies for travelers (DK) arriving in Denmark. They say that all people from countries with a high infection rate should present a recent negative test for the coronavirus or be tested on arrival. The current practice is inconsistent and insufficient, they maintain. Some arrivals from so-called “quarantine countries” with a “worthy purpose,” such as a job interview, must present a negative test. In other cases, people attending a funeral or a business meeting, for example, can enter freely. It is optional whether they submit to a test on arrival.

Are the testing facilities even being used?

Testing facilities were set up at Kastrup Airport in Copenhagen on June 15. Since then, some 25,000 people have entered Denmark there, but the number who have presented tests or have been tested is unknown. “We have said that Danes must comply with guidelines,” says Peter Skaarup of the Danish People’s Party. “And then we see, for example, a flight from Islamabad that brought a large number of infected people to Denmark.” Arrivals from high-risk countries should also be quarantined, added Skaarup.

Other parties agree that the current policy is not effective. Although testing is available at the airport, the facility is not prominent. All arrivals should be met by a test team that offers them a test, says Kirsten Normann Andersen, health care spokesperson for the Socialist People’s Party. They should be isolated until we know they aren’t infected, continues Normann Andersen, and that includes all travelers from other EU countries.

One test is not enough

But according to virologist Allan Randrup Thomsen, a negative test is no guarantee that one is free of infection. Tests may not be reliable in the country of origin, and one can become infected after testing negative. “To be certain, people should actually be tested twice at a few days’ interval,” says Randrup Thomsen. “And during that time they should be isolated, if this system is to function optimally.” Randrup Thomsen doesn’t think it is worthwhile to test travelers from all EU countries, however. If the infection rate is below the limit of 20 per 10,000, then the testing would involve much work and identify very few cases. The tests also produce some false positives.

Rasmus Horn Langhoff, health care spokesperson for the governing Social Democratic Party, agrees “with the intention to ensure that we protect Denmark from the coronavirus as well as possible. . . . I’m sure that we can do it better than we do today. And we very much want to look into this.”

Swedes sail to Denmark in vain

The confusion was no more evident than regarding the new regulations for arrivals from neighboring Sweden (DK). The country, which has followed a singularly laissez-faire policy regarding the coronavirus, has about the highest infection rate in the EU. It is one of the EU six countries that Danes are not allowed to travel to. There is an exception, however, for three regions in southern Sweden close to Denmark. Even residents of these quarantine regions are subject to certain requirements, however. If they do not have a valid purpose, such as work or family in Denmark, they must present a negative coronavirus test taken within the previous 72 hours. 

The Swedish media and a ferry company announced incorrectly that a negative test was not required, and the Danish police that manage border control at the ferry terminal in Helsingør had also received incorrect information at first. This led to chaos at the border as many Swedes on the ferry were turned away (DK) and had to sail back to Sweden. The ferry company, Sundbusserne, which had waited three months during the lockdown before opening the route, announced that it was canceling the route again.

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. 

Coronavirus DK: EU border patrol – who’s safe and who’s not

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the first set of European countries that Danes can travel to (DK) as of today, June 27. It consists of 25 countries, a large majority of the EU. Excluded are only Romania, Portugal, the UK, Ireland, Malta and Sweden. “Today’s relaxation of the travel advisory shows that both Denmark and most of Europe are in much better condition than we dared hope only a short time ago,” said Jeppe Kofod, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Frequent updates

The main criterion for allowing travel to a country is that the infection rate is under 20 per 100,000 inhabitants in the preceding week. The list will be updated every Thursday. If a country exceeds the limit while Danes are staying there, travelers are urged to return to Denmark and be tested for the coronavirus. Citizens of these countries may also travel to Denmark if they have reservations for at least six days. Certain regions of the countries may have significantly higher infections than the national average, and SSI, the agency responsible for preparedness against infectious diseases, will maintain a separate list of them.

Regional outbreaks 

This comes at a time when Europe has seen an increase in cases for the first time in the weeks since most of the countries began to relax their lockdown measures. About 20,000 new cases and 700 new deaths are being recorded daily. According to Dr. Hans Henri Kluge, European Regional Director of the WHO, “30 countries have seen an increase in new cumulative cases over the past two weeks. In 11 of these countries, accelerated transmission has led to very significant resurgence.” 

The reproduction rate in Germany (DK), for example, has recently risen from 1.06 to 1.79, and a large outbreak at a slaughterhouse in the Gütersloh region necessitated the resumption of strict lockdown measures. The WHO’s European Region, however, is a much larger area than is covered in Denmark’s travel advisory. It comprises 54 countries and extends to the Middle East and central Asia. Kluge expects the resurgence to subside during the summer but warns that the situation could worsen in the fall, when seasonal influenza and pneumonia return.

Yankee, stay home!

The EU is also preparing its list of countries where the pandemic is so widespread that their citizens will not be welcome when it reopens its external borders on July 1. Along with other disaster cases such as Brazil and Russia and several developing nations, the United States has attained the distinction of being considered too risky. The list is not final yet, but it appears that the EU is prepared to forego the substantial tourism and business travel from America in order to uphold its standard. The benchmark is the average number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants, which is also used for the Danish travel advisory. The figure for the EU as a whole now stands at 16. The level in the US is 107.

See Denmark first 

The Danish rejsepas (travel passport) was sold out (DK) on Friday morning. All 50,000 passes that went on sale three days before are gone, as many Danes have chosen to hold their summer vacation in Denmark this year and to use collective traffic. The card gives access to all train, bus, metro and light rail in Denmark for an 8-day period from July 27 to August 9.

Coronavirus DK: Recovered cases, protesters & dog test positive

Some persons who have recovered from COVID-19 are testing positive (DK) for the coronavirus. In a study at Aarhus University, around 20 percent of 200 persons tested still had the coronavirus four weeks after they had recovered from the illness. Martin Tolstrup, Lecturer in Infectious Diseases, made the study in order to determine whether the patients had antibodies against the illness and also tested them for the virus. “We are very surprised at the high number who are still positive,” he said. The patients no longer had symptoms, but the researchers do not know whether they are infectious or how to interpret the persistence of the positive results.

“I have reached out to several other researchers, but no one knows,” continues Tolstrup. “There are reports from abroad about a reactivation of the virus.” In South Korea, some recovered patients tested negative and later tested positive. Some of the patients in Tolstrup’s study had both antibodies and the virus. Tolstrup has not seen any indication that these patients are infectious, but others are conducting contact-tracing to see whether they have infected anyone recently.

But are they infectious?

Jens Lundgren, Professor of Infectious Disease Medicine at Rigshospital in Copenhagen, is not surprised by these results. “It can take up to four to six weeks before the PCR test [for the virus] tests negative. We do not expect that it is an infectious virus.” Lars Østergaard, Professor of Infectious Disease Medicine at Aarhus University, agrees but notes that it is not certain that recovered patients cannot infect others. “If they prove to be infectious, that of course raises new questions about how we contain the virus.”

Potential superspreader event

More people who attended the Black Lives Matter demonstration (DK) on June 7 have been found to be infected. At least three additional cases have been identified. Attendees had been warned of the risk of infection before the demonstration, in which 15,000 people participated, many standing very close together and chanting. After the demonstration, they were urged to undergo a test, but it is unknown how many have done so. BLM held smaller protest demonstrations in other Danish cities as well. Political demonstrations are exempt from the limit on the number of people who may gather together.

First Danish pet with coronavirus

Several days after reports of coronavirus infections at a mink farm in northern Jutland, the virus has been identified in a dog (DK) at the same farm. It is the first time a pet in Denmark is known to have been infected. The dog’s owner was instructed to treat the dog according to the same guidelines as the people on the farm. It must “avoid contact with other animals and people outside the household,” said Mogens Jensen, Minister of Environment and Food. The Ministry does not believe that the dog will spread the infection, “but we must keep it away from sick people in the family,” said Peter K. Embarek, an expert in food-borne illness outbreaks. 

Coronavirus DK: German summer exchange program

Many Danes are following the Health Authority’s travel guidelines (DK) and avoiding summer trips to southern Europe. The Ausfahrt travel agency, which sells drive-yourself vacations in Germany, has seen a large demand since June 15, when the government opened the borders to three countries. Of them, Germany is the most convenient for road trips. People are choosing out-of-the-way destinations over large cities in order to minimize the risk of infection from mixing with crowds and standing in lines. 

And that is sensible, according to healthcare researchers. “Traveling by plane and passing through airports poses high risks,” says experimental virologist Allan Randrup Thomsen. “It’s better to travel in your own car, where you have your own little cabin.”

Financially safer too

It also has financial advantages, says Vagn Jelsøe of the Danish Consumer Council. “The safest is a car trip with hotel reservations that you pay for after each night.” That is because if you buy a plane ticket or make a hotel reservation in advance, you may have to cancel them if the pandemic becomes worse in the country and travel there is prohibited again. If the airline doesn’t cancel the flight, you won’t get a refund. Another solution is a package trip from an agency that offers cancellation insurance, adds Jelsøe, but you must make sure that the terms and conditions are clear.

After the border to Germany opened, the government announced that travel would be allowed to additional European countries beginning on June 27, but some people have chosen not to travel abroad at all this year. Reservations at Danish summer houses have risen. “The situation is unstable,” says Randrup Thomsen, “and you cannot plan a trip many months in advance.

The feeling is mutual

Germans are also showing great interest (DK) in visiting Denmark this summer. There were long lines of cars at the border on the day it opened because travelers must show documentation for their reservations. Retail businesses in southern Jutland also report a large turnout. “There are actually more people than there were at the same time last year,” says Thomas Hansen, the manager of a supermarket in Søndervig. “That is probably because we are not traveling out in the world. Our German guests have just waited until they could come to Denmark.”

“Our reservations are five times higher than normal,” says Ivan Kern Andersen, owner of Dråby Strand Camping. Like the summer houses on the west coast of Jutland, the camp grounds have had an above-average number of Danish visitors in the spring, but they could not make up for loss of business from Germans. The number of tourists is expected to increase further when schools go on vacation. “They say they have missed us,” says Thomas Hansen.

Subsidy for biking and hiking

The government is also trying other measures to increase travel in Denmark. In the month of July, it is proposing to make ferry trips between Danish islands free of charge (DK) for people traveling by bicycle and on foot. “This crisis has been hard. Not least for the peripheral regions in Denmark,” says Simon Kollerup, Minister of Business Affairs, who wants to “support the economy, which is more vulnerable on the small islands.” 

The ferry companies and regions with many ferry routes such as southern Funen welcome the plan, but the opposition parliamentary parties do not consider it a serious remedy that will restore jobs in the tourism industry. “A Band-Aid on an open fracture,” said Troels Lund Poulsen, the financial spokesperson for the Liberal Party.

Coronavirus: The Hjørring mutation and Big Brother

I wrote recently about two separate reports of outbreaks of the coronavirus in Hjørring in northern Jutland, one at a nursing home and another at a mink farm. Officials have now determined that it is the same mutation of the virus (DK) that occurred in both locations. “We have used our brand-new genetic tool on tests from the mink from the farm in Sindal, the mink breeders who are sick, and the residents of the nearby Vendelbocenter [nursing home],” said Anders Fomsgaard, a virus researcher at SSI, the agency for preparedness against infectious diseases. “And we can see that it’s the same virus. They have infected one another.”

Who infected whom, mink or man human?

Well, at least one of them infected the other, but Fomsgaard cannot yet say who had the virus first. All the mink on the farm, more than 10,000, were slaughtered. At the nursing home, 12 residents and 29 staff were found to be infected. The Hjørring municipality has also found infections among pupils at three schools. The pupils had connections to the other infection sites. Another mink farm in the municipality is being investigated. 

Officials are trying to determine how the outbreak originated. The mutation appears to be unique to these locations. “It does not appear in the virus in other places in Denmark or Europe, so this apparently has not been a foreign infection,” said Fomsgaard. Several coronavirus outbreaks have occurred at mink farms in the Netherlands, and more than 500,000 mink have been slaughtered.

The app is finally ready

Last week the Health Authority launched an app (DK) intended to help people avoid the coronavirus and break chains of infection. The app, which is called Smittestop (Infection Stop), works by bluetooth monitoring. Persons who are infected register the infection in the app, and when they are within one meter of another person for 15 minutes, the other person receives a warning in the app. The notification does not identify the infected person by name.

Questions about effectiveness and privacy

The app, which was developed by Netcompany, was originally described as being “free” (DK). Later, its cost was estimated at DKK 10 million, and now it is up to DKK 20 million ($3 million) for use only during the last six months of this year. Its development was delayed because of a security feature on iPhones that blocked its functioning. Data from contacts is saved only on people’s phones and not in a large database.

Concerns about privacy have been paramount. Nevertheless, some people are skeptical about the app (DK), sometimes for contradictory reasons: It won’t work; it comes too late; people won’t use it; it’s the start of an authoritarian surveillance society. Why delay notification for 15 minutes when you might already have become infected?

1.6 million users and zero results

Several countries have had problems with contact-tracing apps. A similar app in Norway was discontinued because officials decided they should not gather a large amount of personal data when the number of infections was very low. More than 1.6 million Norwegians downloaded the app, and it has not led to a single positive coronavirus identification. But that’s not necessarily bad news; it’s an indication of how safe Norway is.

Coronavirus DK: Opening for travel in Europe

The government has changed its policy on foreign travel. “I understand very well that there are Danes who in the months we have been through have a desire for a clarification regarding incoming and outgoing travel,” said Jeppe Kofod, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who presented the new plan along with Minister of Justice Nick Hækkerup.

Objective criteria

Beginning on June 27, the government will allow travel between Denmark and EU countries (DK), the Schengen Area and the UK on the basis of objective criteria. The most important measure is the infection rate in a country. Other criteria concerning the number of tests will be determined later. The limit is 20 infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week. Countries with fewer infections than that will be designated as “Open.” Countries with 20 to 30 infections per 100,000 will be designated as a “Quarantine Country, ”and those with more than 30 infections will be closed.

SSI, the agency for preparedness against infectious diseases, will update the list every week, and if the infection rate rises in a country, its status can be altered. Currently, all European countries except Portugal and Sweden qualify for Open status. Foreign tourists entering will still need to book a reservation for at least six days, except for people who live in border regions such as Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Tourists from a Quarantine Country must present negative coronavirus test results from within the preceding 72 hours.

Regional exceptions

Special conditions apply to Nordic countries. If a region has an infection rate below the limit, travel will be permitted. This is especially pertinent for the the Skåne region in southern Sweden. Swedish officials have been complaining that its citizens were not given access to Denmark like its other neighboring countries, Germany and Norway. Unnecessary travel outside of Europe is still strongly discouraged, and there are no plans to change that advisory.

Laissez-faire Sweden is the outlier

The list of registered cases is based on data from Johns Hopkins University. For the week ending June 17, it shows that Sweden had 75 cases per 100,000, Portugal had 20.2, the UK had 13.7, and all others had fewer than 10. The level in Denmark was 4.8, which was slightly higher than that of France and Italy and slightly lower than in Spain.

Opposition and tourism industry still dissatisfied

Several other parliamentary parties have been pressuring the government (DK) to relax the travel restrictions. “This is a step in the right direction,” said Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, chairperson of the Liberal Party. But these parties are still unhappy that travel outside of Europe is not permitted. Recently the SAS and Norwegian airlines announced that they would reopen a number of international routes on July 1. The parties also find the six-day reservation requirement arbitrary. “It is completely destroying the hotel industry,” said Søren Pape Poulsen, the chairperson of the Conservative Party.

If we let everyone in, answered Hækkerup, “we would risk importing infection chains and be forced to roll back the reopening.”

Coronavirus DK: Winners and losers from the new border policy

On Friday Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that on June 15, Denmark would allow tourists from Germany, Norway and Iceland to visit Denmark as long as they stayed at least six nights outside of Copenhagen. Danes likewise could travel to these three countries and were advised to avoid large cities. The plan drew criticism from the opposition parliamentary parties and the Copenhagen tourism industry. The reactions continued yesterday.

Summerhouse rental agencies in Jutland (DK) were suddenly overwhelmed with bookings from both Germans and Danes. Meanwhile, tourism officials in Copenhagen tried to tote up the damage to the capital because of the ban on overnight stays. Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, the managing director of Wonderful Copenhagen, estimates that it will cost the city DKK 1.3 billion in revenue ($185 million) and will affect 1,400 jobs. That comes on top of a loss of DKK 4.25 billion ($600 million) already in the three months since the lockdown began.

Some healthcare researchers approve

“If you want to avoid people crowding together in the evening – since that is the situation we have seen in superspreader events,” says Jens Lundgren, Professor of Infectious Disease Medicine, “there is a good argument on healthcare grounds (DK) for not allowing tourists to stay overnight in the city.” Allan Randrup Thomsen, Professor of Virology, agrees: On a nice day, you see many people out at Nyhavn and Strøget (the main pedestrian street). You have to add tourists to them. Copenhagen has been the hotspot, and you don’t want to make it a larger one.

Danes must stick to the countryside

Danes also began to make vacation plans according to the restrictions (DK) on their travel to the three countries. Those who visit a city with more than 750,000 inhabitants must self-isolate for 14 days after returning. That limitation is irrelevant for Norway and Iceland, where there are no cities of that size, but it affects five cities in Germany, including Berlin and Munich. This is a travel advisory, not an absolute prohibition, says Erik Brøgger Rasmussen of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “There will be no control of where people have been by the police at the airport. . . . But we expect that Danes will listen to the advice and guidelines as they have done throughout the coronavirus crisis.”

Danish tourists are also advised to follow the local guidelines on precautions when they travel. For example, in Germany people must cover their mouths and noses with masks or scarves when they enter shops and use public transportation, but in Norway there is no requirement on wearing a mask. The rules and recommendations may also vary from locality to locality within the countries, for example the limit on gatherings.

Swedish annoyance

In Sweden, the reaction (DK) to the country’s exclusion from the border policy met disappointment, as expected. Niels Paarup Petersen, a Danish-born member of the Swedish parliament, called it “a little hypocritical” that Denmark cannot tolerate its neighbors from Skåne (the southern region of Sweden), which has not been hurt badly by the pandemic. “Many Danes are running around in Skåne, and it is apparently not dangerous. But if some people from Skåne come to Denmark, it is dangerous.”

By far the greatest number of infections in Sweden, which has not ordered a strict lockdown, have occurred in Stockholm. The infection rate is actually lower in Skåne than in Zealand, the island where Copenhagen is located, says Mikael Damberg, Swedish Minister for the Interior. The Swedish Foreign Minister, Ann Linde, says that the country had hoped for a joint Nordic solution and is continuing its dialogue with the other countries in the region.

At the same time, the Swedish Minister for Social Affairs, Lena Hallengren, acknowledged that the country is still in the midst of the crisis (DK). The number of deaths rose to 4,395, in contrast to 571 in Denmark. Anders Tegnell, the state epidemiologist who designed the laissez faire policy, admitted that it was a mistake not to test skiers who returned from Ischghl, the Austrian hotspot.

Coronavirus DK: Clash over plan for border opening

At a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced the government’s policy on opening the border (DK). Like the earlier steps in the reopening of society and the economy, it takes a gradual, controlled approach and it also drew criticism. 

Beginning on June 15, tourists from Germany, Norway and Iceland may enter Denmark, but they must be able to document that they have booked a stay for at least six nights outside of Copenhagen. They may make day trips to Copenhagen, which has had by far the most infections in Denmark, but must sleep elsewhere. Germany has had an infection rate similar to Denmark's, and the rate in the two other countries has been lower.

Tourists from other countries, including Sweden, are excluded. Officials in Sweden, which has not had a strict lockdown and has a much larger number of infections, have complained about lack of access to Denmark. Many Swedes work in Denmark, and many Danes have summer houses in southern Sweden. After the summer, the government expects to open the border to Schengen countries and the UK, said Frederiksen. She added that it may try to find a regional solution to the issue of Sweden.

No Mediterranean beaches for Danes

Tourists will be asked to be tested for the coronavirus when they cross the border, but it will not be compulsory. If they have visible symptoms, they will be refused entry. There will be test centers at popular vacation spots, and if tourists test positive, they may stay in the country subject to the Health Authority’s general guidelines on isolation. 

For people traveling abroad from Denmark, the same restrictions apply. On June 15, they may travel to the same three countries, where they are urged to avoid large cities. The government advises against travel to other countries until August 31. That includes countries in southern Europe where many Danes spend their summer vacations. Frederiksen expressed regrets (DK) that people cannot travel to warm beaches and urged them to vacation in Denmark this year and help support hotels, restaurants and other local tourist sites that are suffering economically because of a lack of customers. If people travel to other countries, they may be subject to restrictions there or become stranded. In any case, they are urged to quarantine themselves for 14 days when they return.

SSI, the agency for preparedness against infectious diseases, believes that the border opening will lead to an increase in the number of infections (DK). It estimates that 400-1,500 asymptomatic persons with the coronavirus will enter the country. Independent healthcare researchers were divided (DK) about the plan. Some think it is sensible, and others believe that tourists from additional countries should be allowed entrance.

Strange, incomprehensible, shocking

Not surprisingly, the plan drew criticism from the opposition (DK), which has been agitating for an earlier border opening. Jacob Ellemann-Jensen of the Liberal Party calls the restrictions in the plan strange and arbitrary: “Why is it six days? And what is so dangerous about sleeping in Copenhagen? It is hard to see the rationale in the necessity of hurting hotels in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg. I hope there is a justification on the basis of healthcare considerations.” 

Criticism also came from Frederiksen’s fellow Social Democrats. “Sad and incomprehensible,” said Jonas Bjørn Jensen, spokesperson for the party in Copenhagen. “It is Copenhagen that generates the most money for tourism, so if you want to benefit the industry, you should start there.” 

Representatives of the tourism industry of course agreed. “I am shocked,” said Peter Haaber, head of the Zleep Hotels chain. “It is almost a compulsory lockdown.” The head of VisitDenmark, Jan Olsen, however, acknowledged the loss of income to hotels in Copenhagen but noted that only about 10 percent of tourists from the three countries in question stay in the city. Most stay along the coasts, and they have already begun to book rooms.

Coronavirus DK: A union divided

Last week Germany and France reached an agreement on a relief package for European Union regions and industries (DK) that have suffered most during the coronavirus pandemic. The funding would take the form of a loan for EUR 5 billion that all 27 EU member states would be liable for. It is the first time that Germany has gone along with a proposal for some form of mutualized debt. France had wanted an even larger aid package. Italy and Spain are the countries that have been worst hit by the virus.

North vs. South redux

The measure must be approved by all 27 member states, however, and Denmark is one of a group of four northern European countries that opposes the program. The other countries in the so-called “frugal four” are the Netherlands, Finland and Austria. The group is insisting that the aid take the form of loans instead of grants and that member state contributions remain at 1 percent of GDP. Proponents of the plan say that it is necessary in order to hold the EU together. The EU Commission will present a budget that incorporates the recovery package as long-term debt on May 27. 

The EU has a history of reluctantly reaching compromises in order to keep the Union intact. This project would represent a momentous step toward a fiscal union that the wealthier member states have always opposed. In the coming negotiations, for the first time the northern European countries will be on the other side of the debate from Germany, Europe’s largest economy. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has expressed her opposition (DK) to the plan since it was first proposed by the EU finance ministers last month.

Breakdown of party alignment

The two largest Danish opposition parties support the Social Democratic administration’s rejection of a grant and joint EU debt. “The idea of shared debt in the EU is just as crazy as if you should share a mortgage loan with your neighbor regardless of how they maintained their property,” said Morten Messerschmidt of the Danish People’s Party. On the other hand, the Social Liberal Party, which supports the Frederiksen administration, favors the proposal partly because it will benefit the Danish private sector, which depends on exports. 

Frederiksen, who has recently been criticized for locking down Denmark without a clear recommendation from the Health Authority and for being too slow to reopen the Danish economy, thus faces a debate over the proposal among her own supporters in Denmark besides negotiations with the most powerful European countries.

Tourism in pandemic times

Several European countries are also working on a plan to allow cross-border travel (DK) to resume and restart the tourism industry. Germany has recently reopened its borders and has invited Denmark to do the same. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has proposed travel guidelines and quarantine rules to be implemented when the tourist season begins next month. Maas held a video meeting with nine other countries to discuss the practical details. 

Others are skeptical that the southern European countries will be ready to allow tourists in so soon. Conditions vary greatly from country to country. Spain has only recently begun to relax its lockdown restrictions. On the other hand, Greece has already reopened tourist resorts. Under pressure from opposition parties, Frederiksen has promised to announce a decision this week on reopening the Danish borders. Denmark’s rural economies and summer house owners are anxious not to miss the approaching rental season and the usual influx of German tourists.

Coronavirus DK: Border skirmish - the next front

Yesterday, the EU Commission presented a tourism package (DK) that is intended to rescue the summer tourist season in Europe. Germany had just announced that it will open its borders tomorrow, and Margrethe Vestager, the European Commissioner for Competition and Danish Social Liberal politician, urged other member states to follow suit. The Danish government has said that it will not consider reopening the borders until after June 1. When asked whether that was too late, Vestager responded, “Both service and production businesses need to move across borders to a greater extent,” adding that all the necessary precautions must be taken.

The package is set of recommendations and guidelines for the member states. For example, people should not travel if they are sick; passengers should check in online and avoid lines at the airport; airlines should not serve food on board; they should take fewer passengers; unrelated passengers should not sit close together; hotels and camping grounds should follow strict hygiene policies. In the first phase, the EU recommends that countries with similar levels of infection (DK) open their borders to each other, for example Denmark and Greece, where the epidemic is under control. The entire Schengen region should not open until later.

Digital travel solutions

The Commission will also develop an interactive map that shows the status of the epidemic in various regions and will present guidelines that will allow the “corona apps” from each country to function in the other member states. The EU has no authority to determine the policies of member states, however. Tourism represents 10 percent of the EU’s economy, and 27 million jobs, directly or indirectly, depend on it, mostly in southern Europe. It represents 8 percent of the Danish economy.

The pandemic has of course been a disaster for countries with a large tourism industry (DK). The Cannes Film Festival should be taking place at the moment, for example, but the many hotels in the region are empty. Italy only last week relaxed restrictions for its own citizens, who must present documentation if they want to travel between regions. Spain, which is also heavily dependent on tourism, is still in the early stages of reopening. Airlines, whose business has plummeted during the crisis, have canceled many flights and passengers are demanding refunds. The airlines have asked for permission to issue credits toward future flights instead, but the Commission has rejected the request.

Pressure from the right

A majority of the Danish parliamentary parties is reportedly in favor of at least a partial opening (DK), for example for German and Norwegian tourists or for people who rent summer houses. At Parliament’s latest question session, representatives of three right-wing opposition parties pressed the government (DK) to follow Germany’s initiative. Danish Justice Minister Nick Hækkerup, however, maintained that Denmark is not ready to put the positive developments in controlling the coronavirus at risk, noting that the epidemic entered the country with skiers returning from Austria and Italy in February. It costs Denmark DKK 107 million ($15 million) for every day that the borders are closed, said Ulla Tørnæs from the Liberal Party. 

Hækkerup answered that the losses could be even greater if the borders are opened too soon and the epidemic flares up again. He was open to the possibility of allowing foreigners who already have a rental contract to enter the country, but the session was frustrating for parties on both sides of the debate. “I must confess that I have not become much wiser from this answer,” said Tørnæs after another testy exchange. Not all parties are in favor of an immediate relaxation of border restrictions. The Red-Green Party, for example, warns that the country shouldn’t drop its precautions simply because of the positive trend in limiting infections.