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DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH VOL 23 ISSUE 05 (ONLINE ONLY)
HISTORY
OPINION
From polio to the plague, Denmark has seen its fair share of outbreaks in recent times. Here are five of the worst to hit these shores
With Easter upon us, the chaplain of St Alban’s Church uncovers some compelling correlations between the Coronavirus and Calvary
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CPHPOST.DK 9 - 30 April 2020
LOCAL Green light for district known as Vesterbro’s little brother
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SCIENCE
Testing times Researchers’ key role in quicker coronavirus tests
STUDENT DAZE
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We’ll fight it on the beaches! NATHAN WALMER
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OPINION Being fat is hard enough outside a crisis
8 EVENTS
Joining in at home No shortage of classes, art, concerts and fun to enjoy
21 PRINT VERSION ISSN: ONLINE VERSION ISSN:
2446-0184 2446-0192
OU CAN blame it on the sunshine, but certainly not a good time. The nation's public parks and beaches have seen a 35 percent increase in activity since mid-February. Like the song said, we just can't control our feet! Reduced activity THE FINDING is part of a global report just released by Google revealing the movements of people in 131 countries. It also found that activity in general in Denmark has decreased by 37 percent, with supermarkets and workplaces experiencing dips of 22 and 28
percent, and public transport stations a 60 percent decline. Return starts here BUT ALL that could change after Easter, as PM Mette Frederiksen on Monday confirmed that daycare and schools would start welcoming back children aged 1-12 (up to the fifth grade) from April 15. However, the borders and most shops will remain closed until May 10 and gatherings will be limited to ten people. The public sector will continue working from home, and Frederiksen has urged the private sector to do likewise. The plans are still dependent on no huge upsurge in the death toll (currently at 218) or infection rate (5,386) over Easter.
18-19 Property tables turned
Finally some recoveries!
ARE HOUSE-HUNTERS in charge for a change? With interest in Airbnb rentals grinding to a halt due to the lockdown, increasing numbers of landlords are seeking long-term tenants. Housing platform Boligportal has reported a 35 percent increase in available properties since the start of the lockdown. There might even be some room for bargaining!
FOR A LONG time, Denmark only had one registered case of somebody recovering from the coronavirus. But Statens Serum Institut was just biding its time. Last week, 894 of the confirmed infections between February 24 and March 14 were declared virus-free – a recovery rate of 97 percent, as 20 died and three remain in hospital.
The girl’s done good
225-hour rule suspended
DANES have responded well to how PM Mette Frederiksen is handling the coronavirus crisis. Her party Socialdemokratiet has shot up 4.7 percent in the national polls to 31.5, according to Voxmeter. It’s the party’s highest rating since October 2006. Some 85.2 percent back the government’s handling of the crisis, with only 4 percent disapproving.
THERE is a broad agreement in Parliament to suspend the ‘225-hour rule’, which requires unemployment benefit claimants to work at least 225 hours a year in order to receive full cash benefits, retroactively from March 9 until June 9. The rule has been made virtually impossible to satisfy given the severe economic impact of the coronavirus.