Advertisement

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

Elizabeth Anne Brown
Elizabeth Anne Brown - [email protected]
Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Walking down Frederiksberg Allé on a summer day. Photo: Kristoffer Trolle/Flickr.

Find out what's going on in Denmark today with The Local's short roundup of the news in less than five minutes.

Advertisement

Unemployment in Denmark lowest since start of pandemic 

Unemployment fell an additional 5,300 people from May to June for a total of 108,600 Danes still unemployed, according to the government agency Statistics Denmark. 

This latest unemployment rate of 3.8 percent is the lowest since the pandemic began in March 2020, Danish news agency Ritzau reports. Denmark recovered a total of 20,000 jobs in May and June. 

"A fall in unemployment of up to 20,000 in just two months is completely absurd, and it puts a clear picture of how fast it goes," Jeppe Juul Borre, chief economist at Arbejdernes Landsbank, told Ritzau. 

"Unemployment is centimeters from catching up with what was lost from the crisis," he added.

READ MORE: Denmark releases a new 'positive list' of in-demand professions 

Weekend forecast: pretend it's September 

Expect cooler temperatures and robust winds reminiscent of autumn starting Friday and extending through Sunday, meteorologist Jesper Eriksen of the Danish Meteorological Institute said. 

"The atmosphere thinks that it has been the beginning of autumn, but we can hope that summer returns later," Eriksen added. 

Friday will bring particularly strong western winds in the afternoon, and Saturday offers lots of showers with brief peeks of sunshine.

"On Sunday, there will again be a refreshing wind from the west, so it will be very reminiscent of Friday," Eriksen said. "It will be such a clutter shop with a mixture of sun and clouds and a few showers."

READ MORE: 3 phone apps to help you make friends in Denmark 

Advertisement

Danish child dies of Covid-19

A Danish child has died of coronavirus, according to the Statens Serum Institut, Denmark's infectious disease agency. Five-year-old Younis Mohammed Ismail, Denmark's second child casualty, was in a long-term care facility but did not have any conditions that would make him vulnerable to Covid-19, his father told Jyllands-Posten Aarhus.  

"My message to other parents is that they need to be careful," Mohammed Ismail, Younis' father, told JPA. "Children can die from corona." 

Danish children ages 12-15 were invited to receive Pfizer vaccinations two weeks ago, and so far more than a third of children in that age group have received their first dose. The Danish National Board of Health further affirmed the vaccine's safety for children in that age bracket on Thursday after reviewing additional data from child vaccinations in the Untied States.

"When Denmark soon returns from holiday, society and schools will start," said Søren Brostrøm, director of the National Board of Health. "At the same time, the seasonal effect decreases, and in the autumn and winter, both covid-19 and influenza can flare up, also despite large vaccine coverage in risk groups." 

Brostrøm urges parents of children ages 12-15 to make sure they get their vaccinations before the beginning of school. 

SSI launches long-term coronavirus study: check your e-Boks  

The SSI has announced an ambitious study on the physical and mental health of Danes during and in the aftermath of the pandemic, according to a Thursday press release. 

Researchers are particularly interested in the long-term effects of the virus, which remain poorly understood. The study will follow participants for up to 18 months after their positive Covid test. 

About 600,000 Danes who have been tested for Covid-19 will be invited to take a questionnaire survey, the release said. 

The first invitations will be sent via eBoks on Sunday. 

"Whether people have been infected or not, their participation is absolutely crucial to the study," said Anders Hvild, a professor and one of the researchers behind the study. 

READ MORE: Denmark reaches Covid vaccination benchmark...but experts warn there's a long way to go 

Advertisement

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also