When will Denmark’s schools fully reopen?
Children in the youngest five grades returned to school in Denmark on Monday, but there is no definite outlook for older age groups.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Monday that the remaining school classes would not return until there was “complete epidemic control and we have got further into 2021”.
Speaking during a visit to Allerslev School in central Zealand town Lejre as younger children arrived for the new school week, Frederiksen said it was too early to make a prediction about when older students would return.
“It is too early to say anything about (this) now, there seems to be a slightly increasing positive percent (of results) in the daily tests,” she said.
Although the 435 new cases registered on Sunday was 22 higher than the total from the previous day, the daily case totals have been falling nationally in recent weeks. The total from Saturday, 413, was the lowest since November 14th.
Students in the fifth grade and older will therefore continue to attend classes from home until at least February 28th, when the national lockdown is scheduled to expire. The restrictions will be extended if this is deemed necessary.
“This is because of the emergence of the British mutation [more infectious variant B117, first detected in the United Kingdom, ed.]. Although the numbers look good on the surface in Denmark, the British mutation is threatening just under the surface and will soon be the dominant one,” the prime minister said.
“That’s why we can’t have a larger reopening of Denmark even though we obviously would like to,” she added.
Teachers and other staff at schools have been asked to take two rapid Covid-19 tests weekly in an effort to limit outbreaks connected to the reopening of the younger age groups.
All schools in Denmark had been closed since December 21st.
READ ALSO: Denmark's new quarantine entry requirement begins
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Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Monday that the remaining school classes would not return until there was “complete epidemic control and we have got further into 2021”.
Speaking during a visit to Allerslev School in central Zealand town Lejre as younger children arrived for the new school week, Frederiksen said it was too early to make a prediction about when older students would return.
“It is too early to say anything about (this) now, there seems to be a slightly increasing positive percent (of results) in the daily tests,” she said.
Although the 435 new cases registered on Sunday was 22 higher than the total from the previous day, the daily case totals have been falling nationally in recent weeks. The total from Saturday, 413, was the lowest since November 14th.
Students in the fifth grade and older will therefore continue to attend classes from home until at least February 28th, when the national lockdown is scheduled to expire. The restrictions will be extended if this is deemed necessary.
“This is because of the emergence of the British mutation [more infectious variant B117, first detected in the United Kingdom, ed.]. Although the numbers look good on the surface in Denmark, the British mutation is threatening just under the surface and will soon be the dominant one,” the prime minister said.
“That’s why we can’t have a larger reopening of Denmark even though we obviously would like to,” she added.
Teachers and other staff at schools have been asked to take two rapid Covid-19 tests weekly in an effort to limit outbreaks connected to the reopening of the younger age groups.
All schools in Denmark had been closed since December 21st.
READ ALSO: Denmark's new quarantine entry requirement begins
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