Denmark announces slight easing of Covid-19 restrictions from Monday
The government has announced a new slight easing of coronavirus restrictions, effective Monday.
A limit on public assembly outdoors will be eased from Monday and more students will be able to attend schools, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced following meetings between the government and parliamentary parties on Thursday.
The limit on public assembly will be increased from 5 to 10 people nationally, and to 50 for organised outdoor sports and leisure activities, as well as for outdoor religious services.
Authorities will continue to recommend limiting gatherings in private homes to no more than five people and to limit social contacts generally.
Final year students at youth and adult education institutions in Greater Copenhagen will be allowed to attend classes in person on the same model as the rest of the country. The capital region had previously been under tighter rules.
Municipalities with higher infection rates will be excluded from this, however, with parliament’s Epidemic Commission to assess the situation in municipalities, according to broadcaster DR.
Additionally, students at vocational schools will be allowed to attend classes normally if the lessons involved practical teaching which cannot be conducted remotely.
“All parties have validated that it is important now that the reopening has a very strong focus on children and young people,” Frederiksen said.
“We are also enabling more Danes to get out and do things together outside. We are fortunately on the way into spring – there is less infection outside – and we can calmly get all of Denmark moving again, but we must do so responsibly with risking everything,” she also said.
Although the move was backed by a broad majority of parties, some opposition leaders have said they would have liked to have gone further.
“I had hoped that more (pupils) would be able to go back to school. I’d hoped for more businesses to be able to open and I hoped that shopping malls would be able to open,” Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, leader of the opposition Liberal party, told DR.
Kristian Thulesen Dahl of the Danish People’s Party called the concessions agreed on Thursday “sprinkles”.
“We are fighting for it to be possible to offer outdoors serving (at restaurants and bars) as a minimum,” Dahl said.
READ ALSO: Covid-19 vaccines to thank for significantly fewer Danish infections and deaths, agency finds
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A limit on public assembly outdoors will be eased from Monday and more students will be able to attend schools, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced following meetings between the government and parliamentary parties on Thursday.
The limit on public assembly will be increased from 5 to 10 people nationally, and to 50 for organised outdoor sports and leisure activities, as well as for outdoor religious services.
Authorities will continue to recommend limiting gatherings in private homes to no more than five people and to limit social contacts generally.
Final year students at youth and adult education institutions in Greater Copenhagen will be allowed to attend classes in person on the same model as the rest of the country. The capital region had previously been under tighter rules.
Municipalities with higher infection rates will be excluded from this, however, with parliament’s Epidemic Commission to assess the situation in municipalities, according to broadcaster DR.
Additionally, students at vocational schools will be allowed to attend classes normally if the lessons involved practical teaching which cannot be conducted remotely.
“All parties have validated that it is important now that the reopening has a very strong focus on children and young people,” Frederiksen said.
“We are also enabling more Danes to get out and do things together outside. We are fortunately on the way into spring – there is less infection outside – and we can calmly get all of Denmark moving again, but we must do so responsibly with risking everything,” she also said.
Although the move was backed by a broad majority of parties, some opposition leaders have said they would have liked to have gone further.
“I had hoped that more (pupils) would be able to go back to school. I’d hoped for more businesses to be able to open and I hoped that shopping malls would be able to open,” Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, leader of the opposition Liberal party, told DR.
Kristian Thulesen Dahl of the Danish People’s Party called the concessions agreed on Thursday “sprinkles”.
“We are fighting for it to be possible to offer outdoors serving (at restaurants and bars) as a minimum,” Dahl said.
READ ALSO: Covid-19 vaccines to thank for significantly fewer Danish infections and deaths, agency finds
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