Home offices will be phased out while steam baths, casinos and play areas will be allowed to reopen. Soon, most things that have been closed due to the pandemic will open in Denmark – except clubs and discos.
Much has already returned to something like normal in Denmark. And just after midnight on Tuesday, the Folketing agreed to further easing of restrictions. According to the leader of the Conservative Party, Søren Pape Poulsen, basically everything will be open in Denmark from Friday – with the exception of nightlife.
However, this will happen with restrictions still in place.
”"From May 21, nightclubs and discos will be closed. Everything else is open in one form or another," he tells DR after a late press conference.
The Folketing has also agreed that it is time for home workers to start returning to their workplaces. This will happen in three stages. During the first phase, which begins on Friday, 20 percent can return to the office. From mid-June, a physical presence of 50 percent will be allowed and from August 1, it is intended that everyone will be allowed to work from their workplaces.
From Friday, up to 50 people are also allowed to meet indoors and 100 people outdoors. The plan is to completely lift the ban on outdoor gatherings on June 11 and indoors on August 1.
It will also be possible to visit saunas, steam baths and water parks as well as casinos, playgrounds and indoor facilities at zoos. However, visitors must be able to show a so-called corona passport, which shows that a person is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, or has tested negative or has already been infected with the virus.
But the Folketing also agrees that the use of face masks and corona passports should be phased out during the summer. This is expected to happen when all Danes over the age of 16 have been offered the vaccine by the end of August, but no exact end date has been set.
Health Minister Magnus Heunicke (S) describes the virus situation in Denmark as favorable – despite a small increase in the number of infected people in recent days. But according to him, the situation is so good that the country can now take these steps towards a full reopening.
”"It can only be done because we maintain basic structures, such as extensive testing and local lockdowns. Those tools ensure that we can now open further," he said at last night's press conference.
Henrik Ullum, director of the infectious disease institute Statens Serum Institut (SSI), agrees that Denmark is ready to further ease restrictions.
”"We have built a strong system where we test a lot, can implement local lockdowns, have good behavior among the population and in a short time have protected the weakest through vaccinations," he says, according to the Ritzau news agency.
”"That said, we are seeing rising infection rates, especially among young people. We need to keep an eye on whether the infection is spreading to the groups that are now waiting to be vaccinated.".
Source: TT
