'A massive success for all of us': Danes praised for Easter good behaviour
The Local Denmark - [email protected]
Published: 14 Apr, 2020 CET.
Updated: Tue 14 Apr 2020 10:45 CET
Fears that Danish people would throw caution to the wind and spend the Easter break flouting social distancing guidelines meeting up with friends and relatives have not been realised, Danish police confirmed on Monday.
"The overall picture we see from the national police is that it all went fairly well, and that people kept their distance," Christian Rasmussen, deputy police inspector with the Danish police, told public broadcaster DR. "When we came out, we saw that people were holding their distance and trying to follow the authorities' guidelines."
Over the Easter period, police only needed to issue a handful of injunctions against those breaking the lockdown restrictions over the Easter period, he said, while only a few people had been charged.
When she announced the decision to lift restrictions, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned Danes that if they interpreted it as a signal to let down their guard, the government would keep restrictions in place.
"If we see over the Easter period that things start to slide, that we aren't staying responsible, my warning is very clear: we will not then go ahead and reopen Denmark after Easter," she said.
The fear was so great that Denmark's government rushed through legislation giving police additional powers to break up gatherings they considered a risk of spreading infection.
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The good Easter behaviour means that Wednesday's school reopening is now a near certainty, particularly given the continuing steady decrease in the number of people admitted to hospital with the virus.
"I am sitting and watching the numbers from day to day," Søren Brostrøm, Director of the Danish Health Authority, told the broadcaster.
"I've been looking particularly at the number of admissions and the number in intensive care, but also at the number of new cases of coronavirus, and it looks very promising. The curve is bent, there is no doubt it looks really nice."
Brostrøm congratulated the Danish people for their efforts to comply with the government's lockdown measures.
"It is a massive success for all of us in Denmark regarding the many initiatives we have taken."
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"The overall picture we see from the national police is that it all went fairly well, and that people kept their distance," Christian Rasmussen, deputy police inspector with the Danish police, told public broadcaster DR. "When we came out, we saw that people were holding their distance and trying to follow the authorities' guidelines."
Over the Easter period, police only needed to issue a handful of injunctions against those breaking the lockdown restrictions over the Easter period, he said, while only a few people had been charged.
When she announced the decision to lift restrictions, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned Danes that if they interpreted it as a signal to let down their guard, the government would keep restrictions in place.
"If we see over the Easter period that things start to slide, that we aren't staying responsible, my warning is very clear: we will not then go ahead and reopen Denmark after Easter," she said.
The fear was so great that Denmark's government rushed through legislation giving police additional powers to break up gatherings they considered a risk of spreading infection.
READ ALSO:
- Danish police will need court order to raid Easter lunches: minister
- Danish PM: 'We will not return to Denmark as it was'
- Danish PM announces 'gradual' and 'controlled' reopening after Easter
The good Easter behaviour means that Wednesday's school reopening is now a near certainty, particularly given the continuing steady decrease in the number of people admitted to hospital with the virus.
"I am sitting and watching the numbers from day to day," Søren Brostrøm, Director of the Danish Health Authority, told the broadcaster.
"I've been looking particularly at the number of admissions and the number in intensive care, but also at the number of new cases of coronavirus, and it looks very promising. The curve is bent, there is no doubt it looks really nice."
Brostrøm congratulated the Danish people for their efforts to comply with the government's lockdown measures.
"It is a massive success for all of us in Denmark regarding the many initiatives we have taken."
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