Today shopping centers in Denmark can reopen and people can begin to participate in outdoor sports and other activities. In preparation for phase 2 of the relaxation of pandemic restrictions, the Health Authority yesterday announced an adjustment in its recommendations on hygiene. The most important change is that it will be sufficient for people to keep a distance of one meter (DK) from one another instead of two meters. In reducing the distance, it is falling in line with the guidelines from the WHO and neighboring countries. It still recommends two meters’ distance in situations such as group singing in churches, where there is a heightened risk of infection, and from people in a high-risk group, such as the elderly. The Health Authority is maintaining almost all of its previous guidelines.
Søren Bostrøm (DK), head of the agency, stresses that good hygiene, such as washing hands, using sanitizer and cleaning frequently touched surfaces, is more important than distancing. The other change mentioned in the press release is the lifting of objection to buffets, which apparently applied mainly to schools, since restaurants will not reopen until May 18. Bostrøm says the agency wants to implement sustainable solutions that balance effectiveness and convenience, and that certain measures, such as the availability of santizer in public places, will be with us for a long time. The recommendations will be adjusted gradually as various segments of society and the economy resume activities.
A “dangerous experiment”
Some doctors and researchers are in favor of the change and do not believe that it will result in many additional infections. But of course not all. Allan Randrup Thomsen, Professor of Virology at University of Copenhagen, who is one of the most frequently consulted observers of the pandemic management, calls the change “a dangerous experiment” (DK). In ordinary speech, says Randrup Thomsen, most droplets from the breath fall to the earth within one meter’s distance, but in louder speech they go further. He would maintain a distance of at least 1.5 meters.
The difference between one and meters is not trivial when it comes to determining how many pupils can be together in a classroom and how many customers a restaurant can serve. The change will mean that additional children will be able to attend school for a full day and cafes will have a better chance of turning a profit. The issue of buffets is similar. The food served in buffets is not dangerous, says Jan Pravsgaard Christensen, Professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Institute for Immunology and Mikrobiology. What matters is that people do not crowd together in lines and follow the other recommendations on hygiene.
No carrot without a stick
As I mentioned yesterday, upon the further relaxation of restrictions, the government will also issue a formal prohibition against reopening and large gatherings for organizations that are not allowed to resume activities until phase 3 or 4. The ban, which applies to zoos, museums, fitness centers and boarding schools, was announced yesterday by Justice Minister Nick Hækkerup. If an organization with more than 50 people violates the ban, it will be subject to fines (DK) ranging from DKK 40,000 ($5,700) in the first instance to DKK 150,000 ($21,500) in the third. The police will also have the option of closing the business or organization.
The Copenhagen Zoo and the ARoS art museum in Aarhus had mentioned the possibility of opening despite the general guidelines against it. Erlend Høyersten, the director of ARoS, called the decision “absurd and illogical” (DK). Museums do not pose a higher risk of infection than shopping centers, says Høyersten, and culture should not be assigned a lower priority than commerce in some kind of politics of symbolism. Justice Minister Hækkerup denies that there is any politics of symbolism at play and emphasizes that various institutions needed to be reopened gradually and middle schools, for example, were considered more important than museums by all the parliamentary parties.
After being closed for about two months, shopping centers are preparing to open (DK) tomorrow. They are setting up signs explaining the rules of conduct and bottles of hand sanitizer. They are closing lounges and children’s playrooms. Security guards and customer counters will be posted at the doors to make sure that customers maintain a distance from one another. Vibeke Qvist, the head of the Frederiksberg Center Association in Copenhagen, does not expect a large number of customers at first, but she and the shop owners are happy to get started again.
The government does not want people to think that the lockdown is over and to let things get out of control, however. Along with the resumption of some activities in phase 2, it is also issuing a formal prohibition against activities (DK) that have not yet been approved for reopening. The ban will be enforced by the police, and violations will be subject to penalties, says Minister of Justice Nick Hækkerup. Certain zoos and museums have raised the possibility of opening before they are scheduled to in phase 3 on June 8. Thus far, there has been no official prohibition, and that has led to some confusion at times, for example when a cabinet minister informally disapproved of IKEA’s reopening although it was perfectly legal. Hækkerup sympathizes with organizations that must wait longer to open, but explains that prioritization is necessary in order to maintain control of the spread of the infections.
No jumping the gun
To remind people of the timetable, the police are tweeting about enforcing violations. Yesterday evening in Jutland, two restaurants were charged (DK) with serving food and drinks at outdoor tables. Restaurants and cafes are not scheduled to reopen until May 18. In another Jutland town, 14 people were caught congregating (DK) in a parking lot. Four got away, but ten were charged with exceeding the limit on gatherings.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended its advisory against unnecessary foreign travel (DK) until May 31. Jeppe Kofod, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, says that he understands people want to travel and are worried about their summer vacation plans but that conditions under the pandemic do not permit free travel yet. Airlines’ business has suffered greatly during the crisis. In April, the number of passengers on SAS flights fell 95 percent from the level in 2019.
Infections falling despite reopening
SSI, the agency responsible for preparedness against infectious diseases, reported a decline in the reproduction rate (DK), or R0, which measures the average number of people infected by an infected person, despite the first relaxations of the lockdown restrictions. The announcement, which was made in an email response to the Ritzau agency, did not specify the latest measurement. The rate had fallen to 0.6 in mid-April and then, after the first phase of the reopening, had risen back to 0.9 on April 30. The rate is used in the government’s decisions about the relaxation of pandemic restrictions. The SSI cautioned that it is subject to a margin of error and that a new measurement would be made in the coming week.
The wonders of socialism
Readers have referred me to a Friday NY Times column by Nicholas Kristof, “McDonald’s Workers in Denmark Pity Us.” Kristof gives a good overview of the advantages of Denmark’s social democracy, which is derided by some American politicians as “socialism” even while conditions in the US labor market during the pandemic deteriorate at an alarming pace.
Soon after the government announced its plan for phase 2 of the reopening of the economy, as reported yesterday, it finished the outline for phases 3 and 4. Phase 3, which begins on June 8, will cover museums, theaters, outdoor amusement parks, adult education and indoor sports; if the virus remains under control, it will also allow greater physical presence in public workplaces, including the public broadcasters. The limit on gatherings will increase from ten to 50. Phase 4, which begins in early August, covers nightclubs, gyms, swimming pools and universities. No date was set for reopening the borders, an important objective for some of the opposition parties. A decision is expected by June 1.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the ambitious schedule was made possible by the exemplary behavior of the Danish people in adhering the Health Authority’s guidelines and it was also conditional on the continuation of an acceptable trend in the number of hospitalizations and deaths. The announcement mentions the likelihood of an increase in those figures and stipulates that the timetable depends on the studies made by the Health Authority before the beginning of the next phases.
Overview in English
The English-language daily The Local has coverage of the timetable; the debate over the border opening; the Health Ministry’s report that laid the basis for the plan; the negotiations among the parties, including a useful infographic comparing the lockdown restrictions in the three Scandinavian countries; and interviews with two philosophers on the ethics of lifting the restrictions.
The negotiations on the reopening (DK) of various elements were reported to be difficult at times. There were disagreements on which organizations should resume activities on the basis of the relative risk of infection and their economic importance. Certain parties favored quick normalization, and others emphasized safety; some argued for reopening institutions in different regions on different dates. Alex Vanopslagh, leader of the Liberal Alliance Party, would have preferred a much quicker relaxation of restrictions but noted that it will proceed sooner than in the original plan presented to the other parties by the prime minister. Other parties leaders stressed the need for compromise and commended the possibility of adjusting the plans according to future reports on the status of the pandemic by the Health Ministry.
Social distancing while shopping and dining
The organizations that are about to open have begun making preparations. Department stores (DK), for example, have received a set of guidelines. They stipulate four square meters per person besides the two meters’ distance between persons. They require regular cleaning and disinfection of cashiers’ stations and other contact surfaces and prohibit clearance sales and other special offers that can result in lines and crowding. The reception of the plan by restaurant owners (DK) was mixed. Many are uncertain how much space they must allow for customers and whether they will be able to operate profitably. The industry spokesperson, Katia Østergaard, argues that hotels should receive additional economic aid because they have lost 90 percent of their revenues.
Coronavirus first appeared in France?
Finally, a report that does not yet seem to have penetrated mainstream American news: Doctors in Colmar, France, have found signs of the infection in lung scans from November 16, 2019 (DK); that is, one day before the first case was registered in China. If it’s not fake news, it would throw the question of the pandemic’s origins further in doubt. The region in question was apparently frequented by Chinese tourists, and a Chinese reality TV show was produced there. When you search for an English-language report, you find one on CGTN.com, the “Chinese Global Television Network,” and another on GlobalDomainNews.com, a site presented in very broken English based in "Fairview Kersey, PA." Kersey, an unincorporated town in Fox Township, PA, has a population of 937, a "Fairview Road" and a "PROMISS NEVER TO SPAM." Stay tuned.
