Denmark is hunkering down for the long haul and waiting for the infections to start declining.

On Monday, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that after April 13 the government could begin consider opening up society and the economy. Statens Serum Institut recommended that the reopening take place in stages lasting at least one month so that the effects on the spread of infections can be measured. On Tuesday, the other parties responded (DK) to the announcement. They all endorsed the plan for a slow, gradual resumption of activities, some citing the needs of businesses and schools businesses and others emphasizing welfare services, according to their usual priorities.

On Tuesday, March 31, the Danish Parliament passed a bill (DK) allowing it to prohibit public gatherings of more than two people. It has not put this prohibition into effect yet but has simply given itself the option of doing so. The current limit for public gatherings is ten people, and the police have issued fines for violations. The two-person limit is in effect in neighboring Germany. The limit in Denmark would not apply to immediate family members but, as Minister for Health Magnus Heunicke explained, it would mean that grandparents could be prohibited from being with their grandchildren. The new law was adopted unanimously by the 96 MPs present. Only about half of the MPs, in proportional representation, attend proceedings at any given time in order to avoid proximity to one another.

Easter visits rescued

After questioning from opposition parties, one of the most extreme measures in the emergency plan has been moderated (DK). The police had been given authority to enter private homes if they had reason to believe that a gathering with non-family guests posed a threat of spreading the infection. The right-wing parties objected on the grounds that it went too far in violation of civil liberties. Such interventions by the police will now require a warrant. This has been settled just in time for the traditional Easter parties in which people travel across the country to be together with their extended families. 

The Greater Copenhagen Region reported that 114 healthcare employees have been infected (DK) with the coronavirus. Apparently none is seriously ill, and the situation has not caused great alarm. A spokesperson for the Region says that it is not unexpected and not considered serious and that there is sufficient staffing to maintain normal operations. Others are more concerned about the absence of qualified staff but add that preventive measures have improved since the outbreak began.

Managing the fallout

People who do not understand Danish are not getting enough information (DK) about the emergency measures, say the chairpersons of the residents associations at two of the largest housing complexes with many immigrant families. Posters have been set up in Arabic and Turkish, but that is not sufficient. Many of the residents do not follow Danmarks Radio, the state television network. Volunteers have translated some of the news, including the prime minister’s latest press conference, and made it available on WhatsApp. Representatives of the Ministry of Immigration and Integration say that it will work to improve the communications. There are an estimated 20,000 to 100,000 foreigners living in Denmark who have difficulty reading and understanding Danish.

Beer consumption (DK) in Denmark has fallen 40 percent during the lockdown, says the beer industry association. People are not drinking in bars and restaurants, at concerts and at sporting events; they are not entertaining at home. Some breweries depend on bars and restaurants for most of their sales, and they are close to going bankrupt. It is possible in some cases to adapt their equipment to produce hand sanitizer, but it does not have a significant effect on their revenues. This situation contradicts somewhat a report (DK) that I cited earlier of a very large increase in calls to the Alcohol Hotline during the crisis. The wine and liquor industry reports a much smaller decline in sales, so perhaps a partial explanation is that people are switching to the harder stuff.

Finally, Danish cultural institutions are getting killed (DK) because people cannot attend theaters and visit museums, and it’s the administration’s fault, says a prominent spokesperson from one of the administration’s supporting parties.