Denmark expands its reopening
More restrictions will be lifted next week
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Late last night the Danish government and a number of political parties reached a new agreement to fast-track the country’s reopening.
The government and political parties will re-evaluate the automatic shutdown rules for kommunes and parishes mandating a lockdown once certain infection numbers are surpassed. Of priority is how to deal with children’s learning and well-being.
Among the changes the next phase of reopening on April 21st has been broadened to include some things originally scheduled to reopen in May. Among them is that restaurants and cafes can resume indoor dining, albeit with social distancing requirements, and of course a vaccine passport.
An fully updated reopening schedule is below.
The parties have also agreed on a gradual lifting of the assembly ban.
April 21st
The assembly ban is increased to ten for indoor gatherings and 50 for outdoor.
Large shopping centers, malls, and department stores can fully reopen.
Outdoor dining at restaurants and cafes can take place (no vaccine passport required)
Indoor dining in restaurants and cafes can resume (vaccine passport required)
Museums, art galleries, and libraries will reopen (vaccine passport required)
Organized indoor sports for children and young people under the age of 18 can resume. An assembly ban of 25 is now mandated. (vaccine passport required)
Organized indoor sports for those 70 years old and older can resume. An assembly ban of 10 people applies. (vaccine passport required)
*Restaurants and cafes must be closed between 11pm and 5am. Last servings may not take place any later than 10pm.*
Schools
Graduating students in primary schools as well as in youth and adult education can return at 80% classroom capacity.
Students in vocational education can return in full.
Students in grades 5 through 8 will alternate indoor/outdoor classes. One week half the class is inside the other half out, the next vice-versa.
*The easing of educational restrictions does not apply to Metro Copenhagen due to the heightened infection activity*
Professional Sports
Professional football leagues can have up to 500 spectators.
Sections in the stands must be clearly separated by at least one meter with a specific entry/exit for each.
Fans will have to register to attend for the purposes of potential contact tracing
Vaccine passports are mandated.
May 6th
(with a vaccine passport)
The assembly ban is increased to 25 for indoor events and 75 for outdoor.
Cinemas and movie theaters can reopen
Indoor conferences can resume
Other indoor spaces for cultural activities can be utilized
Indoor sports for adults over 18 years old. *Exactly which sports still needs to be worked out*
May 21st
(with a vaccine passport)
The assembly ban is raised to 50 for indoor events and 100 for outdoor.
Day colleges and evening schools can reopen
All remaining sports, leisure, and association activities not already opened in previous phases can now resume.
Indoor facilities in amusement parks, zoos, playgrounds etc will reopen (with a vaccine passport)
June 11th
The assembly ban is raised to 100 for indoor events
The outdoor assembly ban is abolished.
August 1st
The assembly ban is abolished entirely
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A majority of Denmark’s political parties continue to agree on a “sunset clause” for the vaccine passports “for activities other than tourism or travel.” The political parties in May and June will discuss the passport and “take a position on its continued scope and use.”
Minister of Justice Nick Hækkerup:
“Denmark is in a good place where there is room for us to open more. It's both responsible and very positive, but it requires that we stick to the good habits, stick to letting ourselves be tested and stick to using vaccine passport to access some of the things we want.”
Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke:
“Right now we are in a really good place in the epidemic in Denmark. Infection rates and the number of admissions are stable. There are several reasons for this. We have expanded a huge test capacity to support the reopening, so that we can closely monitor the infection and effectively stop the infection chains when the infection breaks out locally. And then we have fully vaccinated almost half a million citizens. Therefore, we can both continue with the plan that we have already entered into with the parties to the agreement on the reopening of Denmark and bring forward parts of the reopening.”
You can read the updated reopening agreement in full in Danish HERE