CPH POST 9 - 30 April 2020 by The Copenhagen Post

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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

CPHPOST.DK 9 - 30 April 2020

LOCAL Green light for district known as Vesterbro’s little brother

SCIENCE

Testing times Researchers’ key role in quicker coronavirus tests

STUDENT DAZE

We’ll fight it on the beaches! NATHAN WALMER

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

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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.

LOCAL

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

9 - 30 April 2020

Vesterbro's lillebror: Wrong side of tracks?

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CPH MUNICIPALITY

Jog on FOLLOWING Frederiksberg Municipality’s decision to ban joggers from Frederiksberg Have, Copenhagen Municipality has advised runners not to visit the City Lakes, the Christianshavns Vold rampart, Damhussøen lake and the Amager Strandpark beach area. It is believed that many joggers are not maintaining a two-metre distance from other park users.

Roskilde cancelled THE ROSKILDE Festival, which was scheduled to take place from June 27 to July 4, has been cancelled. Those with tickets can transfer them to 2021, or get a full refund. Also cancelled is Distortion, which had been postponed to late August, and the Folkemødet political gathering on Bornholm.

Tivoli postpones again TIVOLI has postponed its opening date to May 1. Its summer season will now conclude a little bit later on October 4. Bakken, meanwhile, plans to open on April 30.

Right hash of things? THE SALE of cannabis has spilled out onto the streets of Christianshavn following the police’s decision to close down Pusher Street in Christiania on March 21 in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Resident complaints and police patrols have shot up in the district.

ONLINE THIS WEEK

The new mini-district will bring greenery to what is mostly a brownfield area

New city district will inhabit lands previously used by the DSB railway operator

Freebies for kiddies

EVELOPMENT work can finally begin on Jernbanebyen (also referred to as ‘Enghave Remisepark’ and 'Lille Vesterbro'), a proposed new urban area at a site previously

occupied by the extensive railway network close to Copenhagen Central Station, mainly enclosed by Ingerslevsgade, Enghavevej and Otto Busses Vej. Copenhagen Municipality last month finally approved 'Kommuneplan 19', which has been put together by railway operator DSB and the state-owned property management company Freja Ejendomme.

Ready by 2035? THE PLANS include at least 9-12 acres of green space, including a standard-sized football field (11-man) and two small football fields (7-man). The plan sets out that DSB will begin the first phase of the development within five years. However, the project is expected to extend over 15 years.

More changes for path

Rewards despite no race

Large warehouse project

Unconfirmed as yet

COPENHAGEN Municipality is making further changes to the country’s widest bike path, which runs across Dybbølsbro towards the Fisketorvet shopping centre, following its controversial opening last year.

THE ST Patrick’s Day 3-Legged Charity Race still managed to raise 15,000 kroner for its chosen three children’s charities despite not taking place on March 17 due to coronavirus restrictions.

BY & HAVN intends to renovate four old, large warehouses in Nordhavn, covering a total area of 45,000 sqm, and reopen them as attractive, sustainable office environments by 2023.

PRINCE Christian’s confirmation has been postponed, while his father’s Royal Run and the Copenhagen Marathon, both scheduled for May, have been cancelled.

Not a bad cut

Michelin bankruptcies

FCK agrees wage cut

No April 1 stories

THE GOVERNMENT has set aside 5.5 million kroner in emergency support for the homeless.

AMONG those backing local businesses has been Søren Brostrøm, the head of the Sundhedsstyrelsen health authority, who cut his own hair and sent the price he’d normally pay to his local hairdresser, Alaa-Eddine.

THE KADEAU Group, which operates two Michelin restaurants under the same name in Copenhagen and Bornholm, has gone bankrupt. Its capital eatery had earned two stars since 2018.

FC COPENHAGEN became the first Danish football club to reduce its wages due to the coronavirus crisis, when its management, coaching staff and players all took a 20 percent cut.

MOST HIGH-PROFILE media outlets decided against running April Fool’s Day stories this year because of the coronavirus crisis. Ekstra Bladet was one of the few that did.

Editorial offices: International House, Gyldenløvesgade 11, 1600 Copenhagen Denmark

New Metro line opens THE NEW Metro line, the M4 Nordhavn, opened without fanfare on March 28. It adds just two new stations – Nordhavn and Orientkaj – with five more scheduled to follow when a southern extension in the direction of Sydhavn opens by 2024.

New bin contract CF MØLLER will design new rubbish containers for household waste collection as part of an expansion of the city's collections services, which by 2024 will offer 750 waste sorting points on roads and in other public areas.

Support for homeless

ROSELYNE MIN

HUNDREDS took advantage when Thorvaldsen's Museum distributed free portrait modelling kits for children from its doorstep on April 1.

Reprieve for Tattoo Ole AFTER several years of legal battles, Østre Landsret has ruled that the world's oldest tattoo shop, Tattoo Ole, can continue to operate in Nyhavn.

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9 - 30 April 2020

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BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

9 - 30 April 2020

How the lockdown has provided business with a test of their customer loyalty As the coronavirus sweeps the world, businesses of all sizes are forced to adapt to a new reality YULIYA KURYAN

The video shows Johan Bülow touring his empty office, while only factory employees, directly involved in the production of sweets, stay busy. Bülow expresses his struggles in a very personal and relatable manner, reminding us all to take care of each other. He even proposes initiatives to distribute unsold stocks to the most vulnerable groups hit by the virus and the effects of isolation. In a day this very raw video becomes one of the most popular on Bülow’s personal page, as the comment section fills up with words of solidarity and support. This video is a good example of how brands use social media to build emotional connections with their audience – which during a time of crisis is more important than ever. By being honest with your customers, brand loyalty is strengthened, and this ultimately helps to weather the storm. “Our marketing team is pushing campaigns through social media and we are guiding our community and customers to our website instead of physical stores,” explained Maja Lindahl, the PR & event manager at Lakrids By Bülow. “Our community is active and still buys our products. Now more than ever through our website.”

The desktop experience is becoming increasingly important

to transform our shop into a plant-delivery service. If our customers can’t come to us, we will come to them. Instead of a website, we use our old Instagram account. Every day we post new pictures of plants for sale, and then at night we drive around the city and deliver the plants to our sweet customers.” Happy to help out STUCK at home, people buy non-essentials like plants to make this period of uncertainty more tolerable. Self-isolated, they also have more time to clean by themselves. As a result, cleaning services are hit hard by the crisis. “When people are home they typically do not want their house cleaned, so it has impacted our platform very negatively,” revealed Dennis Schade Forchhammer, the co-founder and CEO at Happy Helper. Happy Helper is a booking platform for home cleaning, with more than 500 registered cleaners in Copenhagen alone. Since 2015 the platform has

helped thousands of Danish households with their cleaning and at the same time secured around 50 million kroner in investments along the way. Today the loyalty of their customers and employees repay in kind. Even though the demand for home cleaning has decreased, some customers keep paying for the service to help it survive the crisis. “We are extremely proud of the users that we have on our platform. Many bookers who have cancelled their cleaning have chosen to pay their ‘Helper’ to support them through this crisis,” said Forchhammer. “We have also seen Helpers who have given their bookings to other Helpers because they did not need the cash as much. I believe we have the best and most emphatic users on our platform, and it has inspired us to work even harder to come through this crisis.” The experiences of Happy Helper and others have shown that social media channels and e-commerce are now absolutely crucial for survival.

Liquorice loyalty TWO WEEKS after Danish PM Mette Frederiksen closed the country's borders, the CEO of Lakrids By Bülow, a premium liquorice brand, reached out to his audience via Instagram with a video that stood out from the usual branded content.

Walking plants WHILE some retailers have already established great e-commerce experiences, others have struggled due to either a lack of investment in digital technology or the necessity to sell goods from their physical stores.

The spontaneous union of locals and caring, loyal buyers who express their social solidarity through social media can in these circumstances be a lifebuoy for survival. On their personal pages and in online groups people, willing to help small shops, started sharing the names of those that provide takeaways and deliveries. Plant København is one of the shops that got supported this way by one of the online communities of expats in Copenhagen on Facebook. The business was born out of a concept to never sell cut flowers, but rather only lasting plants with roots, thereby reducing waste. According to Maja Samsø Bastian, the co-founder of Plant København, the company has had to pivot around the coronavirus. “When COVID-19 first hit Copenhagen, the three of us [founders] were looking at each other thinking; ‘How will our little business survive this?’, as there were simply fewer people shopping at our stores,” she said. “We came to the conclusion

Huge losses

Big response

DSB good, ISS bad

1,000 kroner a pair

Apples and pears

THE BUSINESS sector endured losses of 36-52 billion kroner in March alone, according to Dansk Erherv, which expects April and May to be even worse. At least 70 percent of companies saw turnover fall compared to March 2019. Some 19 percent have laid off employees since March 1, with a further 16 percent expected to follow suit soon.

OVER 10,000 companies have applied to access the government’s wage compensation funds, which will cover salaries from March 9 until June 8. The scheme will cover 75 percent of salaries for permanent employees – up to 23,000 kroner per month. For hourly workers, it is 90 percent, so up to 26,000 kroner per month. Companies must cover the rest.

DSB, WHICH has cut 50 percent of its services, has sent approximately 1,750 employees home with pay via the government’s aid package. In contrast, ISS has sent home 1,500 of its Danish-based employees for two weeks without pay as part of its plan to secure jobs in the long-term. The employees, mostly cleaners, have been told to apply for unemployment benefits.

A SUPERMARKET in Rotunden in Hellerup has been reportedly selling hand sanitiser for 40 kroner a bottle – which seems pretty normal. But according to Bored Panda, two bottles will set you back 1,000 kroner. The supermarket was not identified, although Meny is the only chain to have a store at the shopping centre.

AS ANYONE who has a fruit basket at work knows only too well, the pears are always the last to go. So it will alarm nobody to learn that stocks have fallen to 30,000 tonnes – 88.5 percent lower than this time last year. Meanwhile, apple stocks are also in decline, currently sitting at 62 percent lower than this time last year.

T IS THE fourth week of the coronavirus lockdown in Denmark, with no clear signs it will end anytime soon. An announcement on April 6 confirmed it will last for at least five more weeks. With strict social distancing measures in place, only retail establishments selling essential items are permitted to open, thus barring the customers of many stores from visiting. CPH POST recently caught up with several well-known local brands to find out how they have been coping with the first month of this new disturbing reality.

BUSINESS

9 - 30 April 2020

Foreign workers particularly vulnerable as companies trim down

Foreigner jobs under threat, unless we're talking about construction, where they are the threat (see page 7)

Some groups of foreign workers have been left in limbo as work and income requirements become impossible to meet NATHAN WALMER

ENMARK has seen a spike in recent weeks in the number of people registering as unemployed as businesses have closed down, sent employees home, and/or opted to lay off workers amid the coronavirus outbreak restrictions. According to figures from the government, nearly 43,000 people registered as unemployed between March 8 and 26 – an increase of 31,763 over the same period in 2019. While the situation is of deepening concern to many in Denmark, perhaps the most vulnerable population are the

thousands of foreign workers who have lost jobs or been sent home from work. Some groups of foreign workers have been left in limbo as many of the work and income requirements for Permanent Residency (PR) permits, visa extensions, the Green Card Scheme and family reunification have become almost impossible to achieve due to the impact of the coronavirus. No help in sight? FINANCIAL relief packages are being enacted by the government, but they have yet to address the issue for the aforementioned groups. Recent legislation guarantees companies 75 percent wage compensation for employees sent home due to the outbreak. However, many companies

have been so adversely affected by the crisis that they cannot make up the 25 percent difference and have laid off workers. Those in commission-based work will most likely have seen their income significantly reduced despite the wage compensation, as it will only apply to their basic salary and not to their commission. Foreigners have been disproportionately affected by the crisis as many work in the devastated hospitality and tourism industries. In order to meet minimum salary requirements, many also take on additional part-time employment – often the first positions cut as businesses try to rein in costs. Some MPs up in arms THE DANISH Agency for International Recruitment and

Integration (SIRI) has stipulated on its webpage for those seeking a residence permit based on the Greencard Scheme that: “Dispensation from this income requirement due to the COVID-19 situation cannot be granted, even if you have been sent home without salary or laid off from your job.” Some members of Parliament have voiced concern for migrant workers. “These are people who are in a situation they are not themselves the master of. Many applying for family reunification and permanent residence who work in the vulnerable industries may be at risk of losing hours or their jobs,” Rosa Lund, an MP for Enhedslisten, told Politiken newspaper. “We have made auxiliary packages for a lot of other situa-

tions … which is why we should also make an aid package here.” Andreas Steenberg of Radikale expressed similar sentiments regarding visa and residence permit applicants affected by the crisis in Denmark. “Going forward, I think that for those who are going to apply in the coming years, these two or three months, or whatever it may end up, should be an exception,” he told Politiken. The foreign minister, Mattias Tesfaye, noted that foreigners are also covered by the extended unemployment benefit period, as well as some of the relief measures. “But I immediately found it difficult to see the argument that the crisis should lead to easing the rules regarding permanent residence permits” Tesfaye told Politiken.

Struggling with the rent

Job ads in decline

Jobs under threat

Delay for reports

Ta Ma!

BIG AND small retailers are pleading with landlords to be understanding about rent payments amid the coronavirus situation. The likes of Bestseller, Lagkagehuset and Flying Tiger Copenhagen have all been given temporary rent relief, but many others are uncertain.

THE NUMBER of job advertisements has fallen significantly in recent weeks. Jobsearch.dk, for example, had 27,570 listings on February 15, but by April 2 the number had fallen to 18,656 – a decline of about 33 percent.

SOME 600,000 private sector jobs have been directly or indirectly affected by the coronavirus pandemic – almost a third of the total. Nationalbanken estimates that Denmark’s economy will see negative growth of between 3 and 10 percent due to the crisis.

THE GOVERNMENT has ruled that companies in Denmark can delay handing in their annual reports for another three months due to the crisis. Some 200,000 companies were due to hand in annual reports by May 31 at the latest.

THE CHINESE billionaire and founder of Alibaba.com, Jack Ma, has donated two consignments of equipment to Denmark: at least 5,000 visors, 5,000 protective suits and 500,000 face masks, along with a share of the 800 respirators the Jack Ma Foundation has donated to the EU.

SCIENCE

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

Global recognition for SSI breakthrough PIXABAY

AI monitoring patients

9 - 30 April 2020

AN AI MEASURING system is monitoring coronavirus patients at Hvidovre Hospital, Bispebjerg Hospital, and Rigshospitalet. Wireless Assessment of Respiratory and Circulatory Distress (WARD) can detect dangerous situations faster than humans, providing 24-hour monitoring of the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heartbeat and breathing.

Japanese drug tests AARHUS University Hospital is testing the effect of Camostat mesylate, a treatment for heartburn and pancreatitis approved by the Japanese Medicines Agency, on 180 patients with coronavirus. It is thought the drug can prevent the coronavirus from spreading into the human lungs. The results are expected in three to four months.

Top tier for science DANISH researchers are in the top-tier globally in terms of their impact and visibility in leading scientific journals according to new reports from the Ministry of Education and Research and the Center for Research Analysis at Aarhus University, which mostly count citations. The success is partly attributed to Denmark having a high number of PhD researchers.

CO2 vacuum cleaner UNIVERSITY of Southern Denmark researchers have built a 3D art installation that absorbs CO2 from the air and turns it into oxygen. The researchers used organic 3D bricks seeded in cyanobacteria – micro-organisms that can absorb 10 times as much CO2 as trees.

WITH A score of 411.5 per 1 million inhabitants, Denmark ranks third behind only Switzerland and Sweden in terms of applications to the European Patent Office. In total, it submitted 2,404. The top-performing company in 2019 was Novozymes (155), followed by Vestas (133) and Novo Nordisk (110).

Animal coronaviruses RESEARCHERS from the University of Copenhagen and the Statens Serum Institut have mapped the various types of coronaviruses detected in Danish animals, including bats, pigs, horses, cows, dogs, cats, mink and birds. The results are published in the Danish Veterinary Journal.

More free jabs A UNANIMOUS Parliament has backed plans to offer free pneumococci vaccinations to those with a high coronavirus mortality risk – namely the over-65s and anyone with a chronic disease. Additionally, free whooping cough vaccinations will continue to be given to pregnant women.

Top for patents

The simple method can yield test results in just 90 minutes

Institute’s researchers developing simple method that yields results in just 90 minutes CHRISTIAN WENANDE

ESEARCHERS from Statens Serum Institut (SSI) have won international praise for developing a simple method that increases the country’s testing capacity, yielding results in just 90 minutes. Until late March, cumbersome robots were required to isolate RNA genomes during the early part of the test, which requires chemical kit reagents – a substance most labs have a shortage of.

by heating up pharyngeal swab samples to 98 degrees Celsius for five minutes. The method has been hailed in badly-stricken Spain – among others. Antibody blood test SSI IS also in the process of developing a blood test that can reveal whether you have formed coronavirus antibodies. It is unclear when the first antibody tests will be available, however. The institute anticipates it could happen before the epidemic peaks.

has accepted the help of universities and businesses to help with the logistical challenge. Sundhedsstyrelsen had been sceptical due to the reliability, logistical challenges and GDPR issues should testing only take place in the country's hospitals.

Easing the pain in Spain BUT SSI researchers have found a way around the issue

More help pledged MEANWHILE, in light of the Sundhedsstyrelsen health authority's ambition to test up to 10,000 a day, the government

Just four weeks INGENIØREN with the help of experts has calculated how long it will take to test the Danes for coronavirus, and it is encouraging news. With a 24-hour operation, 100 PCR machines and the efforts of 300 laboratory technicians and researchers working in three-team shifts, it believes the entire population of Denmark could be tested in just four weeks.

C-section myth debunked

Mystery of Earth solved?

Platinum breakthrough

CONTRARY to popular wisdom, a study involving Aarhus University researchers rejects the notion that c-section deliveries are better for a woman’s sex life. The study questioned women who first gave birth 16 years ago, and 42 percent of the women who gave birth exclusively by c-section reported problematic sex lives, compared to 37 percent who gave birth exclusively vaginally.

KRISTOFFER Szilas, a researcher from the University of Copenhagen, claims he has worked out how water arrived on Earth, making it a habitable planet. According to Szilas, it was brought by a bombardment of meteorites from the Outer Solar System around 4 billion years ago. Szilas found the answer in Greenlandic mountains – remnants from Earth’s “crunchy” phase before the water arrived.

SHUANG Ma Andersen, a researcher with SDU Chemical Engineering, has invented a more environmentally-friendly and inexpensive way to recycle platinum. Her method recycles over 95 percent of platinum from industrial scrap by using an electrochemical process involving dilute acid that separates the platinum while also preserving other valuable parts.

Health workers hit AS OF MARCH 29, 114 Capital Region health workers had contracted the coronavirus – almost 10 percent of the total cases at the time. In related news, the Capital Region has received almost 60,000 bottles of hand sanitiser from Borup Kemi, from which it has ordered another 60,000.

Funding pool THE GOVERNMENT has set aside 150 million kroner for coronavirus-related research projects, and so far at least nine applicants have been granted a share. As of late March, 31 projects had applied for funding.

3D efforts MORE THAN 250 companies in the Danish 3D printer industry have joined an international network producing protective gear, such as visors.

Incorrect test results HOSPITALS are being challenged by erroneous results concerning the coronavirus. Some claim 15 percent of the results are uncertain, others just 1 percent. Aarhus University Hospital reports that 452 of the 4,726 people it tested needed to provide two or more samples.

INTERNATIONAL

9 - 30 April 2020

ONLINE THIS WEEK

THE DEVELOPMENT Ministry has confirmed that a billion kroner has been set aside for Africa and nearby areas to deal with the coronavirus. The money has been made available by suspending several development projects – particularly those made impractical by closed borders due to the coronavirus.

Rumbled in Madeira A DANISH couple’s plans to quarantine on Madeira were recently ruined by the Danish health authority, which alerted its Portuguese counterpart to the pair’s need to self-isolate for 14 days after seeing their coronavirus-stricken son. As soon as they arrived at their hotel in Funchal, they were taken to a room and ordered to stay there for two weeks.

Terror threat raised

South Korean u-turn SEVERAL Danish authorities, including Statens Serum Institut, turned down South Korea’s offer of thousands of coronavirus tests in the early days of the crisis – a decision the Health Ministry now regrets. It has since contacted the South Korean Embassy in Copenhagen to ask for its help.

Greenland alcohol ban THREE cities in Greenland have banned drinks with an alcohol content of over 2.25 percent until at least April 15 in order to protect children who are at home during the coronavirus crisis. The bans in Nuuk, Kapisillit and Qeqertarsuatsiaat include bars as well as shops.

Medics argue it would would be irresponsible to water down the country’s capacity CHRISTIAN WENANDE

NUMBER of doctors have told TV2 News that it is too early for Denmark to offer aid to heavily stricken Italy, which last week asked for a contribution to their material and health competencies. The doctors argue that the coronavirus pandemic is still in its early phase and it would be irresponsible to water down the country’s capacity at this time. Nevertheless, several political parties back the plans, and the government is said to be sympathetic. Cautious minister THE FOREIGN minister,

Wembley’s tribute WEMBLEY Stadium displayed Denmark’s coronavirus slogan, ‘Sammen hver for sig’ (‘Together, while apart’), on its billboard on the same day England was scheduled to have played the Danes in a friendly.

Keep on trucking THE BORDER restrictions do not apply to trucks, which continue to pour into Denmark with vital supplies at a similar rate to this time last year. Car traffic, meanwhile, has decreased by 50 percent during the coronavirus lockdown.

Most flights grounded Italy's death rate has been disproportionately high

Jeppe Kofod, remains cautious, though. “Whether we have an opportunity to help is dependent on specific evaluations from the relevant authorities,” Kofod told

THE NUMBER of flights through Danish airspace fell by 83 percent during Week 13, compared to the same seven days in 2019, according to the Naviair aviation control operator. At the last count there were 87 parked aircraft at Copenhagen Airport, which all pay 9.67 kroner per tonne per day.

TV2 News. “We take every overseas call for help very seriously, and I will ask the authorities to evaluate whether we have the capacity to help in any way.”

They're just like Pyramus and Thisbe

Record for direct flight FACEBOOK/HENRIK FRANDSEN

THE PET intelligence agency has raised the terror threat in Denmark from ‘reduced’ to ‘general’. The increase was attributed to the growing threat of European right-wing extremists, although the likes of Islamic State are still regarded as more likely to attack. The threat level from February 2015 until 2018 was ‘significant’.

ONLINE THIS WEEK PIXABAY

Billion kroner for Africa

Too early to authorise Italian aid

Cross-border couple restricted from touching one another, but their love story travels around the world

NE OF THE most popular non-serious coronavirus stories doing the rounds right now is how an 89-year-old German man from Süderlügum is meeting his 85-year-old Danish girlfriend from Gallehus every day to share lunch across the closed border – just like in the Ovid tale 'Pyramus and Thisbe'. The exact location of their daily picnic is at the Møllehus border crossing, which is near the German town of Aventoft.

Biscuits and a shot SOMETIMES they wash their biscuits down with coffee, and on other occasions with a shot of De geele Köm.

The news of their rendezvous was not originally broken by the media, but instead Tønder mayor Henrik Frandsen who wrote about them on Facebook. (BH)

Beijing rebuttal

Seasonal worker concerns

Denmark vulnerable

THE FOREIGN Ministry denied that one of its newly-arrived diplomats in Beijing broke quarantine regulations by allowing their children to walk a dog. The claims fitted into a media agenda that foreigners might bring a second wave of coronavirus into the recovering country.

CATHARINA Sørensen, the deputy head of the think-tank Europa, believes the EU could soon experience a shortage of fruit and vegetables. She contends that the EU needs to better co-ordinate regarding the movement of seasonal workers impacted by border restrictions.

THE DEFENCE minister, Trine Bramsen, has warned that foreign powers and extremists are taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis to gather intelligence about the country’s infrastructure and emergency response capacity. The result, she told Jyllands-Posten, could be increased cyberattacks.

SAS’S 11,086 km service from Copenhagen to Lima, to pick up 200 Danes stranded in Peru, was its longest ever direct flight. The Airbus A350-900 was the first SAS plane to visit South America for 30 years.

Foreign worker fears

Is that a Ritter Sport, or are you just pleased to see me?

THERE is growing concern that foreign workers, notably among the 17,000 employed in construction, are moving freely across the Danish borders to enjoy a weekend in their home country. They are not subject to the same guidelines as returning Danes, who are required to quarantine for two weeks.

Lockdowns work! ACCORDING to an Imperial College London report, the measures taken by 11 EU countries to limit the spread of coronavirus may have averted the deaths of up to 120,000 people. In Denmark, the death toll would have probably been three times as high without the preventative measures.

8 OPINION Fatphobia in the Coronavirus Crisis THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

DINA AMLUND

HY IS IT even more important than ever to talk about fatphobia in the midst of the corona crisis? Because fatphobia is an oppressive structure in society. And oppressive structures always become even clearer and harder in times of crisis.

Not just modern day I AM A FAT activist. I use the word fat about myself. Because fat is a neutral word. There is nothing wrong with being fat. It is just a variety of the human form. Fat people have always existed. Just think of the fat Venus figurines that are up to 30,000 years old – back when literally everyone was on the paleo diet. Western culture is not as old as the fat Venus figurines. Western culture is a few thousand years old – and fatness has never been welcome in this culture. We have a fatphobic myth that in some kind of unspecified ‘old days’, fatness was accepted and even ideal. But Western culture is full of corsets and fat jokes – from ancient Greece till today. Because fatness was never ideal. If you don’t believe me, try googling Peter Paul Rubens, for instance, and his painting ‘The Judgement of Paris’ from 1638/39 and look closely at the ‘rubenesque’ models we’ve been told are fat. Spoiler alert: they are not fat. They look like Kate Winslet and Drew Barrymore. Fatphobia is the name of the structure that places fat people outside the norm and at the bottom of the hierarchies. The reason I want to talk about fatness and fatphobia right now, in the midst of a chaotic health crisis

Workplace woes WHY WAS the financial crisis particularly hard on fat people? Because we are already less likely to get hired, more likely to get fired and will not make the same money as people who are not fat. An article from 2016 written by researchers from six different European universities, and edited by Saba Hinrichs-Krapels from Kings College London, found that all existing literature on the topic of the discrimination of fat people in the recruitment process shows that anti-fat bias plays a huge part in who gets hired. A report from the US non-profit organisation Rudd Center tells us that 1) Fat people don’t get hired as much as people who are not fat, 2) Fat people don’t get promoted in work spaces as much as people who are not fat, 3) Fat people are likely to get fired for being fat and/or unable to lose weight, 4) Fat people are subjected to bullying and stigmatisation by non-fat colleagues and superiors, and 5) Fat people risk being punished for their fatness via rules and policies about dieting at the workplace. The report also states there is no law to protect fat people in workplaces in the US. The states of Michigan and Washington are exceptions, even though they still don’t have explicit laws that make it illegal to discriminate against fat people in workplaces. Odds stacked against fat A US SURVEY from 2017 revealed that only 15.6 percent will consider hiring a fat woman. That means 84.4 percent will not even consider looking into what qualifications she may have before discarding her. In Denmark, Fagforbundet Lederne carried out surveys amongst its members in 2011 and 2017 that showed that two-thirds would refuse or be reluctant to hire fat people.

CANWEALLGO.COM/

that seems to be bringing on a financial crisis too, is that every crisis in society always underlines the already existing hierarchies.

9 - 30 April 2020

Needless to say, a financial crisis with overwhelming unemployment rates will place fat people in an even harder situation than we already face in times of no crisis. For those of us fat people who survive this health crisis, the financial crisis looks unbelievably scary! Stigma can’t alter stats I FOLLOW several doctors, dieticians and other healthcare professionals who advocate for equality for fat people in the healthcare system. One of them is Dr Lindo Bacon, an American physiologist who has written several books including ‘Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight’ from 2008. Bacon argues that fatness and health are in no way mutually exclusive – but that fatphobia manifested in, for instance, hate crimes and discrimination in workspaces leads to poor health that should not be confused with fatness causing health problems. In other words fat is not the problem, fat stigma is. Bacon expressed concern on Twitter on March 19, retweeting: “High BMI is currently being used to exclude people from ventilator treatment due to the shortage ... I predict that in a year, doctors point to higher death rate for fat people from COVID and say: ‘See? I told you so!’ BUT THEY ARE LITERALLY CAUSING IT NOW.” High BMI no extra risk DR JOSHUA Wolrich, a British doctor who is active in debates and on social media trying to fight fatphobic discrimination, posted about BMI and corona on March 31. In the UK, in Denmark and elsewhere authorities have – as per usual – condemned high BMI to be a risk factor with COVID-19. Wolrich wrote: “The latest report on COVID-19 from the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre in the UK is pretty conclusive. There is no evidence to suggest that BMI is a risk factor for admission to ICU

Fat people have dealt with social distancing since the dawn of Western culture

with COVID-19.” Looking at the data graphically you can see that the distribution of those admitted critically ill with COVID-19 follows the BMI distribution of the general population. BMI is not a risk factor. Furthermore he writes about lung infections and high BMI: “Interestingly, a higher BMI even seems to be slightly protective against admission when looking at a previous data set from 2017-2019 of patients with non-COVID-19 viral pneumonia.” Previous research has also suggested that patients with a higher BMI have a lower mortality risk when requiring mechanical ventilation for ARDS (PMID 22430246) – the type of respiratory failure seen in COVID-19. Going back to the ICNARC report, there is also currently no significant difference between BMI cohorts and successful discharge once admitted to critical care. This is less conclusive at present, but there is currently a lot less data that we can analyse. I hope this has given some of you some reassurance about what we know already: that BMI is a poor predictor of health at an individual level. Healthcare has a role THERE is obviously a fear that the healthcare system will let down fat people during this healthcare crisis – because fat people are let down all the time. A 2017 WHO report, ‘Weight

Bias And Obesity Stigma: Consideration For The European Region’, concurs that fatphobia is everywhere, all the time. People of size experience fatphobia from educators, employers, health professionals, the media, friends and family, contends the report, which urges action against fatphobia as its core message. It argues that health professionals must focus on health gain – as opposed to weight loss – and it advises health professionals to encourage body positivity with children, young people and adults of size. “Obesity stigma can also affect the quality of care for patients with obesity, ultimately leading to poor health outcomes and an increasing risk of mortality,” it urges the healthcare profession. “Consider that patients may have had negative experiences with health professionals, and approach patients with sensitivity and empathy. Explore all possible causes of a presenting problem, and avoid assuming it is a result of an individual’s weight status.” I hope that fat people everywhere will get equal treatment during this pandemic. And I hope that fat people everywhere will not have to suffer harder than everyone else during the financial crisis upon us. But given the gloomy statistics, I find it quite hard to be an optimist in these matters. Dina Amlund is a fat activist and cultural historian

BUSINESS OPINION

9 - 30 April 2020

Danish Capital in 2020: Trump’s America visibly cracking as coronavirus cases accelerate

Neil is a Scottish-educated lawyer with 18 years’ experience in corporate structuring and general commercial matters. Based in Copenhagen, he primarily advises on international deals. Out of the office, his interests include sports and politics. His column explores topical international financial and economic issues from a Danish perspective. AS THE novel coronavirus sweeps through the developed world, it seems clear that most societal debate will occur in the United States. This may seem counter-intuitive – after all hospitals in Lombardy are overrun, with over 5,000 fatalities. There are, however, tentative signs that the number of new cases in Italy is peaking; the figures in the US, by contrast, are only accelerating. It will be jarring for ordinary Americans to see the lack of ventilators and protective equipment in the wealthiest country in the world. By their nature crises tend to hold a mirror up to societies, exposing their strengths and weaknesses. In America’s case, there are clear structural reasons to believe the virus will pose a unique challenge. The existential consequences come from the fact that not all Americans are aware of the country’s limitations. There is a tendency for Americans, particularly affluent ones, brought up on the mantra of American exceptionalism, to believe that they live in the best country in the world. This is not merely narrow nationalism: wealthy Americans enjoy unparalleled educational opportunities, where the likes of Harvard, Stan-

Issues with government THE CHALLENGES unique to America start at the very top. A number of heads of state have struggled to balance the competing rights of liberty and the economy on one side, and the need to protect public health on the other. This is not surprising: these trade-offs are difficult on a number of levels, and this situation is unprecedented in modern times. No leader, though, has been as erratic as President Donald Trump, who started by saying the virus would be no more than a mere inconvenience, before pivoting to recommend social distancing. Now the president seems to have changed tack again, saying he wants the churches full for Easter (scientists say there could be few worse things for spreading the virus) and the economy roaring back to life. At all times he has re-

fused to accept any blame for some of the gaping holes in the federal government response, claiming that this crisis was totally unpredictable (in fact, it was both predictable and predicted). With a president veering all over the place in terms of both tone and content, it is no surprise that many Americans are confused. President Trump has been fortunate until now that world events have been benign – the economic conditions have been favourable and the foreign policy mini-crises (like Iran and North Korea) have been entirely self-inflicted. Observers who wondered how the president would cope with a genuine crisis now have their answer. As the epidemic develops, a fresh bout of introspection is likely as to why Americans chose a braggadocios real estate promoter turned reality star, with no previous political or military experience. It would be wrong, though, to say that the president bares all the blame for the inept response of the American institutions. The country initially fell behind in testing because of faulty kit. The Center for Disease Control decided that the US should use its own test, rather than the one widely available internationally – and promptly botched the job! The sprawling patchwork quilt of federal, state and county institutions (many of which are underfunded) has led to confusion over roles and different rules in different areas. The diffusion of responsibility proved a severe weakness where a nationwide epidemic was brewing, and clear and consistent guidelines were required. Societal issues THE POSSIBILITY for soul-searching extends from the role of government to the structure of American society. Any healthcare crisis will inevitably highlight how the US is the only major industrial nation without a nationwide public health system. It is unclear what will happen to the 30 million uninsured people in America when a hefty number of them fall critically ill (as they surely will). The tens of millions more who are under-insured will also

be feeling uncomfortable – all the while as jobs (often accompanied by health coverage) are hit. This represents a fundamental issue of fairness: who deserves treatment during an epidemic? It also highlights the practical limitations of the US healthcare system: even if tests were widely available, many people would not have taken them at the start, for the simple reason of cost. Even the insured would typically have to pay several hundred dollars in deductibles. This naturally means a decreased visibility of the background numbers, and by the time the government stepped in to cover costs, the horse had left the stable. Healthcare is not the only setup that may have exacerbated the problem. Tens of millions of Americans do not receive sick pay, either because they are employed at will, or work in the gig economy. It was always fanciful to expect these people, reliant on regular income, to make ends meet or to self-isolate early on. This may have led to the quick spread of the disease and will likely remain an issue if the economy is opened up too early. An eventual discussion about the fairness of the system can be expected. Another aspect of American life shocking to foreigners is the sheer amount of homelessness, which numbers over half a million people. The homeless community, many of whom have underlying conditions and where there is severe practical limitations on hygiene, are clearly a highly vulnerable group. Cities with particular problems, like Los Angeles and San Francisco, are making admirable efforts to mitigate the effects of the virus, but it is likely not enough. That these people may be hit so hard is both a personal tragedy and something that will impact the general fight against the virus, as they can inadvertently facilitate the spread. Finally, it is not solely the homeless that are more at risk from the coronavirus. Those with underlying conditions including heart disease, diabetes and obesity, are particularly vulnerable. In these areas, America has the highest numbers in the world – almost 40 percent of adults

GAGE SKIDMORE

NEIL SMITH DANISH CAPITAL IN 2020

ford and MIT are world-beaters; they receive state of the art healthcare; and they enjoy exceptional job opportunities and endless cultural options, ranging from live theatre to television, as well as exquisite cuisines from around the globe. If you are fortunate enough to be born into a family of means, America really is the best country in the world. What is less obvious to wellheeled Americans is the flip-side of the coin. Informal societal and educational segregation means few affluent Americans have experienced life on the other side of the tracks, which is significantly worse than in other developed countries. The socioeconomic figures are clear and range from the shocking level of homelessness and the hundreds of thousands of bankruptcies each year due to healthcare costs, to declining life expectancy rates and both income and opportunity inequality. Tens of millions of workers are in casual jobs with almost no rights, and many have to juggle multiple jobs simply to make ends meet. A 2019 Fed survey found that 40 percent of adults would struggle to meet an unexpected expense of 400 dollars. The ongoing impact of the Coronavirus will shine a light on these issues.

Not smirking so much anymore

are obese, and over 10 percent have diabetes. These figures are not evenly spread, with lower income Americans disproportionately unhealthy. These factors, combined with unequal access to healthcare more generally, raise the real possibility of this virus hitting lower-income workers particularly hard. Taking all of these factors together, it is likely that this virus will disproportionately impact lower-income earners, leading to debate about the structure of American government and society more generally. There will be many media outlets pushing a different narrative. Parlaying President Trump’s argument that this was entirely unpredicted, they will argue this was a “one-off, once in a century” event, and use strategic comparisons with a harder hit country (there is always someone worse off!). Whether this misdirection works, will depend upon how eloquent and convincing public policy advocates can be, and ultimately the choice of the American people. The US therefore faces tough times ahead, but none of this is to say there is not heroic work being performed. The local communities, from churches to sports clubs and charities remain strong; the spirit and ingenuity of its people is unparalleled; and medical staff are performing with professionalism, dedication and empathy. All of this will be required in the weeks and months to come to deal with the juggernaut heading down the tracks of a societal structure poorly equipped to deal with it. The US truly is an exceptional country, but in troubling as well as positive ways.

10 OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

9 - 30 April 2020

From Corona to Calvary and beyond …. REVD SMITHA PRASADAM

Living Faith

HE DANISH prime minister has been exemplary in her response to Covid-19, which has been decisive, immediate and collegial. The monarchs of Denmark and the United Kingdom have both called upon their people to exercise a civic duty and care for the vulnerable. “In years to come I hope everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge – that the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and fellow feeling to …. define our present and our future,” said Queen Elizabeth II.

Easter lost in the ether WITHOUT the customary rush to supermarkets for seasonal chocolate comestibles, along with our hands, we seem to have sanitised the sacred and eradicated the contagion of faith.

We are on the threshold of the greatest Christian festival, yet our churches are closed and Easter is somewhat lost in the ether. The events of the first Good Friday are horrible and unimaginable. An innocent man is tortured, dies an untimely death, and is laid in a tomb. He takes upon himself all that is broken in the world and in the moment of death cries out: “Father forgive them. They know not what they do.” This was a death-defying-death, for when all hope seemed to have disappeared, he rose again – never to die. It is because of the cross we can name suffering for what it is – and know it won’t have the last word! God has turned the most ghastly event in the whole of human history and taken the instrument of torture, the cross, to be for us the defining moment

and symbol of Christian faith. The best is yet to be NOTHING lasts forever. However much we suffer, however much we hurt – God will always be able to take our fragility and foolishness and gather it in. The past is limited. The future is eternal. The past is flawed. The future is beyond bounds. For Christians the best is yet to be. This is the message of Easter. In these days of social distancing, isolation and confinement, we can live our days regretting the limits placed upon us, or we can live with courage and hope that come what may, we will not be abandoned. God is with us. In the midst of us. In the day of our fear. So in the days to come I hope our defining characteristics as Christians at St Alban’s Church, or anywhere else, will

Corona connections I HAVE heard many wonderful stories of people right here in Denmark who have received help in myriad, practical ways and through virtual connections. I have heard people weep as they say that after 10 years, they have spoken to their neighbours – or even received help from them. When we come through the other side of the Coronavirus Crisis, we will have to rethink virtually everything we do. We will not be able to hit the delete button or erase this from our memories. Even now we at church have been re-imagining ministry with ‘Virtual Worship’ on our website each week. Perhaps we can live more prayerfully, gently and generously, with a greater recognition of God in all things – to name blessings one by one and see what God is doing in our midst. We are being called to recalibrate: to see deeply those who are suffering in our world today, not only due to the Coronavirus, but also hunger, persecution, dis-

placement, climate change and the denial of human rights. These continue to be monumental challenges for half of today’s world. A Herculean task POPE FRANCIS cuts a lonely figure as he performs Holy Week ceremonies in isolation, yet he is in strange solidarity with millions worldwide. At home I have a little glass figure – a treasure given in glass. It’s a Harlequin (‘arlecchino’ in Italian). In other words, a little Hercules. And we have a Herculean task this Holy Week and beyond: like the Harlequin, Christ’s disciples are called to be counter-cultural and Christ-like by putting others before ourselves. Like the Harlequin we wear a mask. It is Christ’s love. Like the Harlequin, we are armed with a prop. Not hand sanitiser but God’s word reminding us that “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength”. Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. And he lives never more to die. With this hope, when Easter Sunday comes and well beyond, we can shout “Alleluia, Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.” SMITHA PRASADAM

Nothing lasts forever THE CORONAVIRUS dominates our consciousness and news media and seems to define all we think and say and do. And today, as Covid 19 continues to cast its shadow, we echo the psalmist: “Hear my prayer O Lord – My Spirit faints within me – I remember the times past – I stretch out my hands to you – My soul gasps for you – Make haste to answer me – Let me hear of your loving kindness – Deliver me – Teach me – Revive me.” We have to hold onto the hope that the Coronavirus will end. It will not last forever. I want to say that my God is bigger than the Coronavirus or our fear. And I say this because of Calvary.

Born in India, adopted by Britain, Smitha (chaplain@ st-albans.dk) is the new chaplain of St Alban’s Church. In the UK, along with being a Church of England priest, she travelled Europe working as an English teacher, trainer and examiner. Smitha continues to work in an advisory and advocacy capacity at a national level on matters of liturgy and social justice.

be prayer, attentiveness to God’s word, being alongside each other with courage coursing through our veins, and compassion and hope filling our hearts.

Nobody advocates cleaning one's hands more than the Christian church

OPINION

9 - 30 April 2020

JESSICA ALEXANDER

The Road Less Taken

Jessica is a bestselling US author, Danish parenting expert, columnist, speaker and cultural researcher. Her work has been featured in TIME, The Huffington Post, The Atlantic and The NY Times, among others. She graduated with a BS in psychology and speaks four languages. Follow Jessica on IG @jessicajoelle_ or jessicajoellealexander.com.

AM AN AMERICAN author and parenting expert currently living in Rome. I recently spoke to BBC World News about how it felt to be here. As many know, Italy was one of the first countries in the western world to go on lockdown. At that time, it wasn’t clear whether it was the right decision to shut a whole country down or not. These kinds of measures seemed inconceivable for the rest of the world – ‘draconian’ was the word used to describe it. No-one could believe this would ever happen in another country, much less much of Europe, the UK and America. However, as I talk with my family in the US now, I hear the reality dawning on them in the same way it had for me. The realisation breaks through, imperceptible at first – this is a

disease on the horizon and could never happen like that here. Then there are the first clear rays and the questions begin: what is the coronavirus? Could I, or my family be at risk? Then there is the blinding realisation that it’s here, it’s serious and everything is shutting down: a domino effect of closures of school, bars, restaurants, businesses, etc. “This is going to ruin the economy” we say. “This is going to bankrupt so many!” I hear my family and friends going through these stages and I know that there will be a new phase should isolation take place for an extended period of time. In Italy, we are finishing off our third week at home and there is no end in sight. The April 3 deadline has been lifted and we don’t know when it will be over.

Thus, in these strange times, I wanted to share three lessons I hope will help should you find yourself in a similar situation. Let it go WHEN WE were in the first stages of denial, confusion and anger, we were worried. We were thinking about ourselves and what this would mean for us. My husband’s business was shut down and we had employees to pay. How could this be happening? How could anyone work and homeschool their kids? Then, as the health care system began to creak and groan under the weight of dying patients, the gravity of the situation set in and we hunkered down in humility. In this phase, we realised that worrying wouldn’t help anyone and this wasn’t just about us. We

When we say 'savour' we mean take some time out. Frankly, this looks like hard work

have absolutely no control over what is happening right now and no-one knows what tomorrow will bring. Letting go, stopping worrying for now and living in the present has never felt so significant. Find your rhythm KEEPING a routine helps a lot in these times, but whereas the beginning phase seemed to be about scrambling to keep up with the rest of the world, the second phase felt a little more about getting a rhythm that worked for all of us. I found it impossible to work in the beginning due to stress, and I was stricter with the homeschooling schedule, but now we have settled into a slower pace and take it a bit more as it comes. We have a routine, but we work more as a team and have a nice ebb and flow. It takes some time to realise you are really home for the long haul, but once it sinks in, it’s almost a relief. Savour the last times ONE OF my favorite authors, Sam Harris, talks about thinking about doing things for the last time. This is to foster mindfulness and an appreciation for the

little things we often overlook. Anyone facing a life-threatening disease may know what this feels like – but it’s hard to conjure up this awareness in our everyday hustle and bustle. Going into our umpteenth day of lockdown, I now vividly remember the last time we had a meal out, the last time we saw the sea, the last time I went shopping with my daughter before everything closed. Now, we live in the moment. Now, we live day to day. Now, we respect all the potential last times we get. Whether it’s homeschooling my children or cutting vegetables, planting seeds or cuddling together while watching a film, every little moment is an opportunity to breathe in and savour the last time. These may be the last times we live in a space before the economy crashes down. These may be the last times before we get the news of a loved one being sick or dying. These may be the last times we all live without a heaviness our society has never carried in our lifetime. Therefore, savour these last times. They are the silver linings of a lockdown and a beautiful gift.

12 OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

9 - 30 April 2020

JACK GARDNER

Englishman in Nyhavn Jack escaped Brexit Britain in October 2019 to forge a new life in Copenhagen. In this column, he outlines the challenges expats face when integrating into Danish life. Jack (jacksgard@gmail.com) co-hosts the comedy podcast ‘Butterflies on the Wheel’, which is available on all major podcasting platforms

ECAUSE Denmark is run by people with biological matter between their ears, we are a bit ahead of everyone in the UK when it comes to coronavirus. While many of my friends and family back home are living relatively normal lives, I find myself in duo-isolation with my lovely current and first fiancée Rebecca. So, I thought for their future benefit, it would be a good idea for me to write a diary / How To Survive As A Couple In Quarantine Guide (as Rebecca objects to it being called). Day 0 – Preparation I WENT out at 7 am to be there when Lidl opened. I was joined by 40 of my peers, all standing a perfect three feet away from one another. I quickly became panicked and mentally discarded my meticulously prepared shopping list I had constructed when walking to Lidl. Who needs flour, when you can have Macadamia nuts? Or loo roll, when you can buy a single can of button mushrooms? I left with 700 kroner of ingredients, no combination of which produces an edible meal. The closest I can get is noodles fried in shower gel. Top tip: Write down your shopping list. Key takeaway from the day: If my plane crash-lands on an island, I should not nominate myself as leader – even if I am the only survivor. DAY 1 GREAT day. Spent entirely with Rebecca. We played video games, did some work, did laundry, I applied for a job (given the

hiring frenzy in quarantined Copenhagen right now). Top tip: Remember the good things in life. Remember those who love you. Remember your love for them. Let your love warm you. Key takeaway: Maybe this isn’t going to be so hard after all. DAY 2 BOARD game day! Very ‘hygge’ as the Danish like to say! We started with Scrabble. My longest words were “KITBAGS”, “LAUGHING” and “FLOWERS”. Rebecca’s were “FREEDOM”, “HARDSHIP” and “KNIFES”. I tried to point out that the plural of knife is knives, but that put us dangerously close to our First Argument of Quarantine, and that isn’t scheduled for another week. Top tip: Make sure to have lots of oranges, packed full of

Vitamin C. They are great if you want to get rid of a cold … or if you are trying to keep one away!! Key takeaway: In retrospect, some ambient background music would have been a nice addition to the four hours of stony silence during our Scrabble game. DAY 3 INTERESTING day. I’ve noticed no obvious change in Rebecca’s behaviour towards me. It’s funny, though, the things you notice in such … constant proximity. I just noticed Rebecca has a freckle on her ear. How did I not see that before haha! This is the woman I’m meant to be marrying! For goodness sakes. What a silly world! Top tip: Fitness regimes are essential in quarantine! It produces mood-boosting endorphins! It’s also a great bonding activity between couples. We’ll

The caretaker in 'The Shining' was called Jack. Just saying

be trying that tomorrow. Key takeaway: When she asked me if I’d brushed my teeth, was she just asking in general or did my breath smell? DAY 4 OUR FIRST workout of quarantine! Rebecca got up a YouTube workout video and then provided a fairly constant stream of motivational quotes throughout. At first I thought they were for my benefit, but after hearing “Rebecca, once you get a sixpack, you get an upgrade”, I wasn’t quite so sure. I tried to bring it up during the hour-long post-workout heart-to-heart I had scheduled, but she didn’t seem to hear my questions. Top tip: Commenting on the impressive backside of the YouTube fitness instructor is potentially one of the not good things to do in quarantine. Key takeaway: I woke up in the middle of the night and thought a stranger was breathing next to me. I turned my phone light on and remembered I live with Rebecca. What does this mean? DAY 5 OUR FIRST fight of quarantine … :(

It wasn’t a big one. As always, they feel so important at the time, but in retrospect they seem so silly. It all started with a lively discussion over the lyrics to The Kooks’ 2005 hit ‘Naïve’. I was convinced the lyric “I’m not fond of asking” was actually “I’m not from Alaska”, but after Freckle pointed out my mistake, we had a bit of a row about it, as well as touching on a couple of other, irrelevant points (who does most of the work around the flat, who is the most emotionally manipulative, whose fault is it that our sex life is so bad, who overshares details of our relationship on public forums). Top tip: Praying together can be a really great way for couples to bond at the end of a long day (so I keep telling her). Key takeaway: In some countries, it would be above-average size, and in others less-than. But ultimately, there’s nothing I can do about it. DAY 6 I SPENT some time online today and found out that the freckle was likely to have been there from before I knew Rebecca. Which is odd because it is basically the only thing I notice when I look at her now, from any angle. It’s actually on the back of her ear, but when I am facing her, I can feel its presence stronger than ever before. It’s almost like it makes her whole ear glow, glow glow glow and pulsate. Very weird. For dinner, we made toasted macadamia nuts with an entrée of canned button mushrooms. She seemed distant. Top tip: Freckles can be easily ignored by the simple trick of closing your eyes, putting your fingers in your ears and humming loudly from the bottom of your diaphragm. Key takeaway: ‘Freckle’ (the word, not the person!) comes from the Old Norse word freknur. According to Wikipedia, in Australia it can also either mean a small, flattened mound of chocolate covered in sprinkles, or the human anus.

9 - 30 April 2020

14 HISTORY

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

9 - 30 April 2020

A plague on all your houses – back when self-isolation didn’t quite cut it in Denmark

BEN HAMILTON

F THIS was an apocalyptic scifi film, it would be normally be around about this time that somebody discovers a cure (often a means of defeating the aliens), so Steven Spielberg can end it on a sickly sentimental note. But as we approach the third week of the coronavirus lockdown (or is it the fourth – forgetting when it started is always a sign that something is terminal), one thing is clear. Nobody will forget the coronavirus crisis in a hurry. It has led to the biggest upheaval in life since World War II. Chillingly predicted NEVERTHELESS, it is not the first time that Denmark has been hit hard by an epidemic or pandemic, and there is no doubt that our accumulated experiences make us wiser. Did you know, for example, that Anders Fomsgaard, a professor at the Virus Research & Development Department at the State Serum Institute, more or less predicted the current outbreak barely 20 months ago. “It’s just a question of when it will come,” he chillingly predicted in August 2018.

Learning from history SO LET’S take a look through the history books to see how Denmark previously persevered through some of its most trying weeks. Here are five other epidemic/pandemics that rocked the country, turning the everyday lives of the Danes upside down. Who knows: maybe our current experience will make us better prepared when the next, more deadly virus inevitably arrives. 1711: Black Death kills 23,000 THE LAST time ‘den sorte død’

visited Danish shores, it wiped out a third of Copenhagen’s population. The Danes had the Swedes to thank for passing on this farewell instalment of the bubonic plague, which took root for three terrifying months in 1711. Ironically, perhaps, but the Great Northern War (1700-21) was raging between the countries at the time, and Denmark’s borders were accordingly sealed. But not to plague, it transpired. Carried by fleas living off rodents it entered via Helsingør and reached the capital via the postal routes. In most cases, it took around a week for infection to give way to fever, vomiting, lesions and death, and Copenhagen began to acutely feel the effects in the last week of June. By then, most precautions (quick burials, no contact with the infected, and limited movement in and out of the city) were too late. A former military grounds at Wodrofsgård was commandeered to treat and hopefully contain the disease, where survivors were entreated to stay and care for the sick. In late August, the outbreak finally began to slow. 1918-19: Spanish flu kills 18,000 GLOBALLY, the Spanish Flu killed approximately 50 million people out of an estimated infection rate of 1 billion between 1918 and 1920, but in Denmark the fatality rate was only 2 percent of those infected, so just 0.2 percent of the population. As the Danish figures suggest, some areas were harder hit than others across the world. In some Inuit communities in Alaska, for example, 90 percent of the population was wiped out. Denmark did not want for infections though. In just one week in July 1918 there were 3,862 in Copenhagen, with the 20-40 age bracket seemingly the most vulnerable. The authorities failed to react

BENNET SCHULTE

Learning from history to fight the coronavirus: how Denmark saw off other epidemics to hit these shores

Birds get a raw deal. Even when they're not the carriers, we still blame them

and for a while they were vindicated as the infection rate slowed right down. So when the flu returned with a vengeance in the autumn, they were again unprepared to deal with it effectively. It was not until midway through October 1918 that the city’s cinemas, theatres and amusement parks were closed. Places of learning, meanwhile, had closed, but only because most of its students were ill at home. 1853: Cholera kills 4,500 FROM JUNE-OCTOBER 1853 Copenhageners were not safe in their homes – that was kind of the problem. Old buildings and defective sanitation and sewage systems combined to serve the Danish capital with a huge cholera epidemic. More than 7,000 were infected, of whom 4,500 died – most particularly among the over-70s, who saw their number dwindle by a sixth. Many were moved away, mostly from the most vulnerable parts of what is now the city centre, to take shelter in tent camps in the green belt surrounding the capital, and this quickly slowed down the spread of the disease. One thing was made clear by the outbreak: Copenhagen needed more space. The city ramparts were accordingly ripped down (some still survive in Kastellet), as the capital spread into what is

today Nørrebro, Vesterbro and Østerbro. New housing was built with better sanitation, while wholesale changes were made to the city’s sewage system. 1952: Polio kills 348 A POLIOMYELITIS outbreak in Denmark in 1952 saw 2,722 patients develop the illness in just six months. It would end up claiming the lives of 348 Danes. Following the rapid deaths of 27 out of 31 children being treated, Danish anesthetist Bjørn Ibsen came up with an inspired idea to tackle the respiratory paralysis killing them. He hooked the still living patients up to man-powered ventilators, and teams of medical students from the university spent hours physically pumping air into their lungs. The ventilators required 200-odd students at a time to continually squeeze a rubber bag attached to a tracheostomy tube inserted through an incision just below the larynx. At the height of the epidemic, 70 patients were manually ventilated, with the students working in six or eight-hour shifts. In total 1,500 took part, clocking up 165,000 man hours. Their efforts reduced the mortality rate of the patients down from 90 to 25 percent. In total, 7,000 Danes were affected,

with many suffering a life-long affliction. Some 348 people died during the major polio epidemic, and many survivors had to live with lasting injuries after being affected by the disease. 1980-2005: HIV infects 4,000 IN 1991, THE AIDS virus took over as the primary cause of potential years of life lost (PYLL) among men aged 25-44, peaking in 1993 with 29 percent. Danish doctors first started to detect AIDS in 1981, primarily among gay men and drug addicts. Symptoms included high temperatures, unsightly spots on the skin and rapid weight loss. A front-page headline in Politiken newspaper in December of that year read: ‘Homosexuals hit with rare cancer’. Less than three years later, French and US doctors combined to identify HIV as the cause – a virus primarily passed on during unprotected sex or the sharing of a syringe. While it was responsible for a 0.76-year drop in life expectancy for men between 1991 and 1995, it only knocked 0.08 years off the expectancy of women. The number of fatal cases started to decrease significantly after the introduction of anti-retroviral treatments in 1998, by which time it accounted for just 5 percent of PYLL.

9 - 30 April 2020

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16 INTERVIEW

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Humans of Copenhagen: Lockdown edition Six capital residents reveal how they’re coping with living in ‘quarantine’ EMILE YOUNG

E ASKED how you were handling the lockdown and adjusting to new routines. Some of you joked that you finally learned your normal lifestyle was called ‘quarantine’. Others talked about trying to sneak in a few hours of work with your kids running around in the background. We heard about missing birthdays and sharing a beer over video chat. Here’s what six of you had to say:

Donatello enjoying a video chat with friends

TIM RHYS Tim is from Sydney, Australia. He’s been in Denmark for four years and worked as a substitute teacher and at a hotel in Copenhagen. He’s currently in lockdown with his partner. What’s the biggest change? The biggest change is the lack of routine. Since school has been closed, I really don’t have a lot to do. Shifts at the hotel are non-existent, so for now it’s a bit of PlayStation, Netflix, going for a walk, doing a puzzle with my girlfriend and looking for possible employment.

CHRISTOPH DARGEL Christoph moved to Denmark from Germany two years ago. Currently, he balances working from home and naps with his two children. What’s the biggest change? For me, the biggest thing is to realise how vulnerable and fragile all the things that we take for granted are, and how difficult it is to adapt, even with trivial things. In the first days of the lockdown we went to a popular playground nearby because we are used to that. We stopped that

a few days ago as it does not really make sense to close kindergartens and then transfer the same activities and interactions to a different place. How do you stay positive? I feel okay to be honest. Of course there are lots of negative things. The worst, in my opinion, being the people heavily affected, but also smaller things like how we had to cancel the celebrations for my grandpa’s 100th and most likely the ones for my daughter’s first birthday as well. I think we can make the best out of it and use the time

to learn, read and reflect, and have video calls with our people. What are you looking forward to the most? Seeing my friends, family and colleagues again. It might sound weird, but I hope that we also learn some things out of the lockdowns and don’t just go ‘back to normal’. People don’t commute to offices so much, meetings that should always have been an email are an email now. And with travel being restricted, you can see blue skies in megacities and wildlife in the canals of Venice.

How do you feel? What’s your biggest worry? Restless and concerned. I am in a situation where I am not able to earn any money for the foreseeable future. What Denmark is doing for its own people is remarkable. However, I do not qualify for any of the assistance packages. And, even if I wanted to, accessing benefits would void my visa (spousal/ family reunification), and I will essentially be kicked out of Denmark. I have managed to slip through the cracks in all this. I thought I could negate the instability of substitute

work by having a second job. But, I’m healthy, as is my partner and our families, so I just have to remember to be grateful and trust that things will get better. What are you looking forward to the most? I just want to get back to work right now. I love my job and feel lucky to be able do something I enjoy here in Denmark. Sometime this coming summer I am hoping to see the parks and city full of people again, enjoying themselves freely.

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MALWINA TARKA Malwina is a professional driver for disabled and sick individuals. She lives with her daughter and boyfriend and is a climbing instructor in her free time. She currently drives individuals who are too sick or old to get to the hospital on their own.

changed. My work routine is different. The traffic in town has completely disappeared – that is actually one thing I really love in this situation! I also now only drive people who really need to be in the hospital – for instance for radiology or dialysis. In my private life, I miss climbing. We can’t go climbing at all.

What’s the biggest change? Actually, everything has

What’s your biggest worry? I’m pregnant right now. I guess

my biggest fear is getting sick and then getting my baby or the patients who I drive sick. They really can’t get sick right now. How do you stay positive? We spend a lot of time in the kitchen. What are you looking forward to the most? Climbing … climbing … C.L.I.M.B.I.N.G!

DONATELLO NARDELLI Donatello worked in retail and was sent home on paid leave, but he worries about his family in Italy and tries to dedicate his time to himself, his family and his friends. What does a day in lockdown look like for you? I wake up and check my phone for notifications for news from home, since I’m from Italy and my country is badly involved in this virus story. I clean and do

HANNA ÅGREN Hanna recently moved from Sweden to live with her Danish girlfriend. She sells jewellery at historical festivals and spends her free time making art out of insects and clockwork. What’s the biggest change? I’m very used to not having routines. I travel a lot and improvise when things aren’t working. The biggest change for me is having to be home, as I’m usually always out meeting people. The

good bit is I get some routines (like the running) – the bad will come in a week or so when I start climbing the walls.

Luckily I have a lovely boss who said to me: “Den dagen den sorgen (that day that sorrow)” and keeps paying my salary.

What’s your biggest worry? And how do you stay positive? There’s of course the dark cloud on the horizon of economic issues, along with the possibility that my family or friends might get infected, but I know there’s nothing I can do that I’m not already doing, so fretting over it won’t help. I’m trying to enjoy the calm as long as it lasts.

What are you looking forward to the most? To be able to travel, go out, meet friends and family more casually, go to the cinema and go to work. After all, I do have an awesome job. Also, it’ll be great to see something other than corona and conspiracy theories in my news feed.

SOPHIA Sophia is 11 years old. She likes to watch YouTube, be with her guinea pig and her family, and play computer games with her friends. What does a day in lockdown look like for you? I wake up, and first I play a bit on my computer with my friends. Then I do homeschool for three hours. My teachers give

some of my hobbies. Then, at around 16:00, I do home workouts with my water polo team through a group video call. I spend the rest of my time hanging out with my housemates and Netflix at night. What’s your biggest worry? The first few days, I was getting affected emotionally. I do still worry for my family, but I’m trying to go through the news less because I get stressed, and it gives me anxiety which does not help at all. So I’m just trying to

me things to do. After school I watch YouTube and play on my computer. Sometimes I go out with my mum to do some shopping. Yesterday we went for a walk too. What’s the biggest change? Probably that we cannot go so much outside and not go to school. How do you feel? What’s your biggest worry?

look at this period of time like a free time to dedicate to myself and to my family and friends with video calls. What are you looking forward to the most? Freedom! It’s one of the most important values in our lives, and we don’t realise until they take it away from us: the freedom of travelling, doing sports, going clubbing, and doing the things that make you happy in life.

I am scared and I am worried that someone near me will get the coronavirus. How do you stay positive? We still can call each other and I hope all this will be over someday. What are you looking forward to the most? That we can go outside again and I do not have to be scared about the coronavirus.

18 COVER

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How international students are coping with the coronavirus lockdown in Copenhagen The dream of studying at a prestigious university is crumbling, but for these fish out of water there are plenty of reasons to be grateful too LAURA MOLLOY

DYLLIC expectations of studying abroad were shattered for thousands of students across the world this year. Culture, food and lifelong friendships were traded for cancelled classes, quarantine and social distancing. The thousands of students who flock to Copenhagen annually, seeking a Scandinavian education, now face unprecedented chaos. International students in Denmark’s capital were thrust into immediate uncertainty on Wednesday March 11, when Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced nationwide school closures. The drastic measures, following a concerning increase in the number of coronavirus cases across the country, were an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. Those studying abroad suddenly faced a dilemma: remain in Denmark amidst the crisis, or return home and risk their health on long journeys, whilst abandoning their education. Serenity amidst security measures WHILE quiet speculation had been ongoing for weeks, the PM’s definitive action still came as a shock to many, including British student Sophie Mallett, 21. “Initially I just thought it was a lot of hysteria and panic that was probably not warranted,” she said. “Now I understand that young people are one of the largest demographics to be transmitting and spreading the disease.” Despite her original doubt regarding the lockdown, Mallett now describes the level of serenity that came as a result of the security measures: “I feel calm knowing that people here really trust the government, and it’s definitely registered with the public that this is serious.” Mallett, who studies biological sciences at the University of Copenhagen, was depending on a work experience placement she had hoped would set her apart from the competition in upcoming job applications. Now, with global lockdowns, the future of her project is less than promising. “In science, if you don’t have some kind of internship, you don’t stand much of a chance later,” she explained, illustrating the concerns of a generation who now must face the fundamental years

Da-yun Jin had been warned about the large crowds at Nyhavn on sunny days, but that was before the coronavirus hit Copenhagen (all private photos)

of their careers with the backdrop of a global pandemic. When you can’t go home again THE LACK of physical classes is also taking its toll on some students, as teachers attempt to condense interactive lectures into Skype sessions, battling with technology and temperamental internet connections. After relocating from Spain to Denmark for her master’s, economics student Eva Martin Montero, 23, is now familiar with the

frustrations of this new approach to education. “I’m missing a lot and I don’t think I can learn the same things on my own. I wanted to study here at this university and it feels like I’m not doing that,” she said. Within this unpredictable turn of events, international students are now provided with the unique perspective of watching front row as a foreign country navigates the crisis. While Montero’s home country of Spain is suffering immensely at the hands of the virus, she

describes Denmark as a “safe place” where she remains in the interest of both her and her family’s well-being. “My mother says it’s like being in the war in Spain,” she said. “They’re fine with me staying here because they know I’m in a better situation – at least I can go out and get fresh air – and if I go home I could risk infecting people that I love.” Sadness among the happiest BUT FOR some, the separation from loved

SOPHIE MALLETT

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ones is understandably traumatic, with no end in sight for global travel restrictions. Da-yun Jin, 21, has never been further from her home in South Korea, and the distance is beginning to take its toll. “My parents are really worried about me now because in Denmark the situation is getting worse,” she said. Being a foreign student, the lockdown has added implications, as the pandemic occurred faster than many could organise proper documentation: “I’m afraid because I didn’t get my CPR number yet and now I still don’t have it.” As an architecture student, Jin had anticipated sightseeing and travel opportunities during her first time in Europe – ambitions that have been shattered with the escalation of the pandemic. But with trips to Finland and Paris postponed, she is now confined to lockdown within her student residence. “I chose Denmark because it is the happiest country, and it’s sad that there are so many places here I can’t see now,” she said. However, that hasn’t stopped her from experiencing one vital aspect of Danish culture: “I’ve been riding my bike more and I’m really into it now – which is a positive.” Best place at the worst time SIMILARLY, many students have attempted to navigate their new situation with home-made fun. Tibor Fekete, 26, is now sporting a newly shaved head after two weeks of government lockdown – something he puts down to boredom. Hailing from the Romanian region of Transylvania, Fekete set his sights on Copenhagen in the hope of advancing his career opportunities. “The university is one of the best faculties worldwide, and back home I wouldn’t have the possibility of choosing such a good program,” he explained. Fekete has not allowed the lockdown to dampen his spirits, even though he “really wanted to experience Scandinavian life and the hygge feeling”, crediting his flatmates for supporting him during this confusing time. At what is now a turbulent period in world history, it is perhaps more crucial than ever to look on the bright side. “I’m in the best place at the worst time,” he contended. For the moment, life remains in a state of isolation for many, as the Danish government recently announced an extension of the lockdown, which will now continue until April 13. Yet optimism remains, as Fekete’s priority is clear once the lockdown ends: “When this is over, I’m getting drunk.”

It seems that, even amidst all this chaos, one thing remains true: students will be students.

EVA MARTIN MONTERO

DA-YUN JIN

TIBOR FEKETE

20 ADVERTORIAL

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

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China ready to co-operate with other nations to beat the Coronavirus Feng Tie, the Chinese ambassador to Denmark, is confident his country will get on top of the situation. He also emphasises China’s readiness to fight side-by-side with other countries DAVE SMITH

Feng Tie – China's ambassador to Denmark

PH POST recently spoke to Feng Tie, the Chinese ambassador to Denmark, to learn about how his country is coping with the Coronavirus. The new infection rate of the coronavirus in China has slowed down. Do you have confidence that you can bring a complete end to this epidemic? Indeed, the situation in China has been stabilising. New infections have plummeted to their lowest level. On March 17, there were only 13 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection, and just 11 deaths were reported on the Chinese mainland. Some 922 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering, while the number of severe cases decreased by 208. So far, a total of 69,601 people have recovered. The new daily infection rate in the Hubei province continues on a downward trend. Hospitals overwhelmed by patients several weeks ago now have empty beds. Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, has closed all of its 16 public facility-turned temporary hospitals. According to the president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, the peak of the epidemic in China has passed. The spread of the coronavirus has been basically curbed. But we must keep cool-headed because our fight against the virus is still at a critical stage. We have to guard against the risk of imported cases and a resurgence of the virus. There is a lot to do to wipe out the epidemic completely. What measures have you taken in China that you deem effective? President Xi Jinping visited Wuhan and strongly boosted the morale of the medical workers on the front-line, community

workers, volunteers, public servants and all residents of the city in their battle against the epidemic. Under his leadership, we have mobilised resources across the whole country and rolled out the most aggressive and strict containment measures in history. The city of Wuhan has been locked down. More than 330 medical teams with a total of 41,600 doctors and nurses from all over China rushed to Hubei with tons of vital supplies. Two field hospitals with over 2,500 beds in total were built in just 10 days and 16 large public facilities were turned into temporary shelter hospitals. The Chinese people have given strong support to the governmental measures. There are a lot of moving stories of medical workers, volunteers and many others who have battled the virus bravely, demonstrating extraordinary selflessness, stoicism and dedication. The people of Wuhan have complied to the strictest isolation measures and have stayed at home for over two months now. The progress we have made could not have been achieved without the sacrifice, solidarity and perseverance of these heroic people. Chinese scientists and public health experts raced against time and succeeded in quickly isolating the causative virus, establishing diagnostic tools, and determining key transmission parameters. Their efforts have provided the important basis for China’s response. In treatment, we have supplemented Western medicine with traditional Chinese herbal medicine. To handle such a large scale outbreak, we have also resorted to online platforms for the dissemination of medical knowledge and 5G platforms to support rural response operations. All in all, the leadership and mobilisation, support of the people, and scientific approach have been key to China’s endeavour and success in dealing with the coronavirus. China’s aggressive measures have slowed the spread of the virus and bought extra time for other countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “China is actually setting a new standard for outbreak response.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres described China’s sacrifice in containing the spread of the virus as a great contribution to all mankind. Was there a cover-up and lack of transparency in China’s handling of the outbreak? The Chinese government has responded quickly and effectively, mobilising tre-

mendous resources in the fight against this epidemic. However, that does not mean that everything has been perfect. This is a unknown new virus and, therefore, it took some time to understand what was going on. Moreover, Wuhan is a metropolis of over 11 million people, which is more than double the population of Denmark, and the decision to lock it down was not easy. China has been transparent while taking on the outbreak. Information has been shared with the international community, such as the genetic sequence of the new virus found by Chinese scientists. A team of international experts organised by WHO made an investigative tour of five cities in China including Wuhan. They visited hospitals, laboratories, wet markets, train stations and local government offices. The team also reviewed the massive data that Chinese scientists had compiled. Its report released after the visit said that “China’s bold approach to contain the rapid spread of this new respiratory pathogen has changed the course of a rapidly escalating and deadly epidemic” and that “this decline in COVID-19 cases across China is real.” What do you think of Denmark’s measures in the fight against the coronavirus? Do you think China’s method is applicable to other countries? The WHO has declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and confirmed cases are rising across the world. Unfortunately Europe now is the epicenter and Denmark is facing a huge challenge. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has sent a message of sympathy to the Danish Government and the Danish people. Denmark has taken resolute measures to contain the spread of the virus. I hope these measures will be effective. Different countries face different situations and there can be various responses. But some of China’s experience may be useful to other countries. The world is a global village and a community of common destiny. No country is completely safe until other countries are safe. This outbreak is a severe test for the whole world. China is ready to work with the international community to address this unprecedented challenge. President Xi Jinping had exchanged views with leaders of several countries. China has donated US$20 million to the WHO. Chinese doctors have arrived in Rome with tons of medical supplies to help Italy. China has also sent medical teams to Iran, Iraq and Pakistan. Chinese medi-

cal experts have shared their experience at more than 20 expert seminars and remote meetings and with a number of countries as well as international organisations, including the EU. Tomorrow, China will organize an experience-sharing video conference which will be attended by Chinese and European scientists, including those from Denmark. When China was under great pressure in previous months, many countries gave us precious help. Now China is ready to do all we can to help those in need. Our common enemy is the coronavirus. It is time to work together in combating this pandemic instead of pointing fingers or jumping at the opportunity to make ideological attacks at China. Is China going to have an economic recession that will plunge the whole world into a crisis? The Chinese economy has suffered from the epidemic, but I believe its impact is temporary and generally manageable. Despite the short-term economic repercussions, the epidemic has not undermined the fundamentals of China’s steady and long-term sound economic development. As the world’s second-largest economy, China has much leeway in sustaining its economic growth. With a rich policy toolkit, the government has plenty of room to manoeuvre. Now China is battling on two fronts: containing the spread of virus and revitalising the economy. Businesses in China have started to reopen, and they have ramped up production while taking measures to prevent infections at the workplace. More than 90 percent of industrial companies in several major provinces have resumed production. In the petrochemical, telecommunications, electricity and transport industries, over 95 percent of the companies have resumed operations. Employees of more than 80 percent of the foreign enterprises in China have returned to work. China’s economy is resilient and we are confident that the Chinese economy will rebound either in the second quarter or second half of this year. In the past few weeks, we have seen financial markets hit hard, global supply chains disrupted, and investment and consumer demand plunged. There is a real risk of a global recession. However, when the strong measures of various countries against the pandemic work, the downturn will be reversed. This is a difficult time. But I am sure, with solidarity, the right decisions and concerted efforts, we will tough it out and prevail.

EVENTS

9 - 30 April 2020

Low - Fi music concerts April 11, 14 & 16; 20:00; streaming on Low - Fi Facebook page; tickets via lowficoncerts.com Low - Fi assembles musicians and singers from all corners of the world for live shows in Copenhagen, creating unique and intimate experiences for music lovers. At this critical time, Low - Fi has arranged a series of online concerts on their Facebook page to entertain people. The accomplished musicians are from various parts of Europe, presenting intense and admirable online concerts from their living rooms. This also brings an opportunity for music lovers to support the community at this difficult time. (NG)

El studio online dancing Ongoing, various times; 100300kr; elstudio.dk El Studio, which hosts the popular annual dance show, the Copenhagen Dance Festival, is now offering online dancing lessons for beginners and adults in various dancing styles, including salsa, bachata, hip-hop, afrobeat, twerk, chair dance, burlesque and more. They are one of the regular dance schools to have gone online to remain connected with their students and dance enthusiasts at this time during the lockdown. So what’s stopping you: if you don’t like the idea of filthy stares in the park, boogie in your living room! (NG)

Virtual Music Festival May 7 & 10, 16:00 & 20:00; online; free adm, eventbrite.dk Experience this virtual music festival with multiple artists organized by S.AF.E. It is completely interactive with chat rooms, contests, raffles, sweepstakes, and Zoom video conferencing, so friends can create their own watch party on the site. The festival will be a livestream event on SAFEMusicFestival.com and multiple social platforms all at once! And to keep the tradition there will be a winner at the end of the event for the best-performed artists, which will be judged by likes during the stream. Visit eventbrite. com to register for free. (VG)

Film of the month via YouTube Every month The Why Foundation releases a film that sparks discussions and challenges stereotypes, which is available to everyone with English subtitles. Working with partners across the world to extend free access to information for everyone, The Why produces and donates documentaries to underserved countries and distributes them on a sliding fee scale to others. Don’t miss The Journalist and the Mass Murderer, the April film shedding light on the horrific genocide of one fifth of the Cambodian population. The film is available on the official YouTube channel of The Why. (VG)

Sing Happy Birthday to HM April 16, 12:00 When Queen Margrethe II turns 80 on April 16, Danes will take to their balconies, backyards and windows, or wherever they can sing loud at noon precisely to sing her Happy Birthday. A million people have already signed up on Facebook for this initiative, which has been organised by Kim Bruhn and the musical group Danmark Synger. As part of the initiative, the symphony orchestra Copenhagen Phil is also playing four songs. Although the queen has cancelled her series of planned birthday celebrations and gatherings due to the ongoing lockdown, this should be a beautiful gift. (NG)

I Love The 80s April 11, 21:00-24:00; online; free adm, eventbrite.dk It’s not just the girls who want to have fun, but also the boys! Ireland’s biggest online 80s party is here to get you into the groove. An online 80s night with original 80s music selected by DJ50 will turn your living room into a disco and pump out nothing but the best in 80s classics all night long. Don’t miss this fun night and register now for free at eventbrite.ie. (VG)

ICC improv workshop April 9 & 13, 17:30; tickets at improvcomedy.eu Improv Comedy Copenhagen and the Copenhagen International Improv Festival are offering online drop-in classes for all levels. It’s a great opportunity to meet different people in these challenging times and learn to improvise. The workshops, which are led by two different teachers, have various group games, scene work, and exercises suitable for the online medium. (NG)

Ark Books poetry circle April 20, TBC; AB Facebook page Every second Monday, the Ark Books invites all bookworms to their virtual meeting to read and discuss poetry in an informal, friendly atmosphere. Now with the lockdown, the event went online for the first time on April 6, and the second is expected to take place on April 20. Stay tuned, as you don’t miss the next virtual meeting. In the meantime, the Ark Audio can keep you company. Find it at the Ark Books’ Facebook page. (VG)

El studio online dancing Ongoing, various times; 100300kr; elstudio.dk El Studio, the host of popular annual Copenhagen Dance Festival, is now offering online dancing lessons for beginners and adults in various dancing styles, including salsa, bachata, hip-hop, afrobeat, twerking, chair dancing, burlesque and more. They are one of the regular dance schools to have gone online to remain connected with their students and dance enthusiasts at this time of the lockdown. (NG)

Mingle with Magnus Temples April 11, 20:00-21:30; Zoom; free adm; studenterhuset.com Missing meeting new people? During this interactive livestream concert on Zoom, you will be able to enter virtual rooms and have fun with other participants. Studenterhuset will reward the first 25 people with a free draft beer when it finally opens up again. So put on your party dress and shake your body in your own home. The code for the concert will be published a few hours before, so stay tuned! (RM)

BCCD Pub Quiz April 15, 20:00; bccd.dk; free adm Time for a break from ‘social distancing’. The British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark is bringing everyone together for a virtual pub quiz night. Grab a drink of your choice and don’t miss this fun evening of networking online. Sign up to attend the event @ bccd.dk. A direct link to the quiz will be sent to participants on April 15 at 16:00. (VG)

Virtual April with PWN ongoing, ends April 29; online with PWN Copenhagen; free adm The Professionals Women Network in Copenhagen welcomes spring with a month packed full of online sessions to enrich your personal, professional and business capacities while developing and fostering sustainable goals. This is for both members and friends. Join for free by registering @ pwncopenhagen.net. (VG)

Teddy bear spotting The popular worldwide trend of searching for teddy bears has arrived in Denmark. Many windows and balconies have cute teddy bears sitting on them., so kids, geared up with paper and pens, can record their discoveries. With COVID 19 having taken up all our attention at the moment, the teddy bear hunt offers families a wonderful break from it all! (NG)

Dis.Art in Denmark Until Sep 1; dis.art; free adm Kunstal Charlottenborg has teamed up with the internationally renowned artists’ collective DIS, art exhibition site Tranen and the world’s biggest documentary festival CPH:DOX to offer films and series on the streaming platform Dis.art! According to the museum it is the art equivalent of Netflix. Free of charge for everyone in Denmark. (RM)

Streamed dance classes Various dates; Facebook; free adm The professional dance instructor of the Sceneindgangen dance studio is offering free classes via Facebook live almost every day, though the dates and times are posted at short notice. If you are looking for something more sophisticated and classic than hip-hop or salsa, this is a good opportunity for you to try ballet or contemporary dance. (RM)

CPH:DOX Online ongoing, ends April 30; cphdox. shift72.com There might be a worthy alternative to binge-watching Netflix and HBO Nordic series to keep you occupied over the next two weeks. The international documentary film festival CPH:DOX was kind of cancelled, but going online has meant the festival has ended up lasting a month! (RM)

Level-up your Danish April 9, 17:00; webinar.swaplanguage.com/webinars; free adm Take advantage of the lockdown and accomplish the long-wished goal of learning the Danish language! Nichlas Walsted has helped beginners by webinars since the lockdown. His focus is to boost your confidence and vocabulary so you can use it in your daily life. (RM)

Easter Sale & Delivery April 11, 15:00-18:00, The Bar, Kronborggade 3, Cph N The Bar is opening up just for three hours with a special discount on all its stocked drinks: sodas, beers and spirits. You can also get them delivered to the door on Saturday if you order more than a box of beer. Shoot a message to the bar via Instagram or Facebook. (RM)

At home with Ray & Savannah April 12, 21:00; live on Ray Weaver’s Facebook page; free adm, donations to Embolc mental health foundation With no church to go to this Easter Sunday, where better to worship than at the altar of Ray Weaver, the celebrated American pub singer, who is again teaming up with his daughter Savannah to wow online listeners. (BH)

Louisiana Channel Until it opens again; channel.louisiana.dk; free adm The world’s most beautiful museum is also on pause; however, the extraordinary size of its video collection will keep the audience entertained. With 750 videos featuring numerous prominent artists, writers and architects of our time, Louisiana will keep drawing in visitors. (RM)

ON SCREENS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

9 - 30 April 2020

Crucial calendar crunching during the coronavirus confinement crisis BEN HAMILTON

OU’LL FORGIVE me if I ignore what might possibly open at the cinema this April. In all honesty, it wasn’t a particularly good line-up anyway, and we covered half of them in our March edition of On Screens. Subject to a probable Mulligan BUT WHO knows, maybe the coronavirus restrictions will be lifted and hundreds of us per viewing, clambering all over the aisles whilst retching into one another’s popcorn, will gather to watch Promising Young Woman (74 on Metacritic; out at cinemas on April 23 if it’s lucky). Or maybe many of us will avoid medium-to-large gatherings forever. Will life ever return to ‘normal’? The always demure Carey Mulligan plays against type to portray a young woman (well, she’s pushing 35) who likes nothing better than spending her evenings disposing of men who take advantage of drunk ladies in nightclubs. She’s the female equivalent of Patrick Bateman, but she kills fewer homeless people. Just days after the ban on nightclubs potentially opening, Carey and director Emerald Fennell (best known for playing Camilla in The Crown) want to give the men of Copenhagen a good excuse to never go out again. To be fair, though, the reviews are solid – normally for such a film in which women unpleasantly kill men (think Michael

Winner’s Dirty Weekend, The Brave Talking of familiar faces, takOne or Baise-moi), they’re horrid. ing the title role in Sergio (April 17 on Netflix), the story of how You’ll never guess who Sergio is UN diplomat Sérgio Vieira de ALSO DETERMINED to come Mello got caught up in US invaout in April are Mr Jones (64; sion of Iraq, is … well, actually, April 2), Watership Down (64; this is worthy of a quiz round April 4) and Bloodshot (Not Re- alongside pictures of a mousleased Worldwide; April 16) – all tacheless Nigel Mansell and the of which were previewed in the old guy from Breaking Bad when last edition. he appeared as the head henchIn addition to those, in Brit- man in Beverly Hills Cop. It’s none ish comedy Military Wives (59; other than Wagner Moura, last April 2), Kristin Scott Thomas seen taking to the rooftops as Pab(the major obviously) and Sha- lo Escobar in Narcos (okay, okay, ron Horgan (naughty corporal) amigo … he reprised his role in collide to produce a hit record; the Mexican version). Brahms: The Boy II (19; April Elsewhere among the new 16) is a horror about a boy with Netflix films is romcom Love a doll (a premise already dis- Wedding Repeat (April 10 on turbing enough); rapidly rising Netflix), the directorial debut of star Awkwafina in The Farewell Dean Craig (the writer of Death (89; April 16), China’s answer to at a Funeral – both versions), Parasite but without the recogni- for which he has assembled a tion, gives us another dose of the half-decent cast including Sam American-Chinese culture clash Claflin and Olivia Munn, but it served up in Oscar-winning doc weirdly doesn’t have a trailer yet. American Factory; and completely The same is true of Dangerous uncoincidentally Marvel plans to Lives (April 26 on Netflix), but release its second female protag- not of Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansonist film since DC went down man (April 28 on Netflix), an the Wonder Woman path: Black esteemed 2018 release making Widow (NRW; April 29) starring its Danish debut. Scarlet Johannson. Finally, Bad Education (77; Co-starring is David Harbour, April 26 on HBO Nordic) rethe missing policeman in Stranger tells the true-life story of Long Things, who is also popping up Island school administrator this month in Extraction (April Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman), 24 on Netflix) starring Chris an embezzler who makes Britta Hemsworth, another attempt by Nielsen look like a corner shop the streaming service to outdo the sweet thief. It’s another reminder absurdity of its 2019 offering 6 why Allison Janney is becoming many people’s favourite actress. Underground.

Guess who? Answers in text ....

Running into an early lead SO FOR a month of few films, that was an awful lot of information – mostly because I haven’t got a word count, and partly because the television offerings in April pale in comparison to the juicy morsels we got in March, with HBO Nordic offerings Devs (71), Breeders (65) and The Plot against America (81) leading the way, Netflix outputs Unorthodox (85) and Feel Good (83) more than holding their own, and DR serving up a fair few watchables from the UK: Scottish dark comedy Guilt, David Tennant crime series Deadwater Fell and The World at War-style drama series World on Fire, but don’t be expecting a lack of diversity in this version of WWII – okay, maybe in the scenes in Poland. HBO Nordic has an April jump-start on its rivals with Run (April 13), a dramedy about a couple who decide to leg it (with copious amounts of back-story), with go-to unlikely leading man, Domhnall Gleeson. He has strong support from Cate Blanchett in the miniseries Miss America (April 16) as feminism opponent Phyl-

lis Schlafly, and Mark Ruffalo as the twin brother protagonists of I know this much is true (April 28). We’re here (April 24) is spawned from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Netflix’s offerings, meanwhile, include Never have I ever (April 27), a showcase for Indian-American comic Mindy Kaling; US school-based sitcom Community (74; April 1; Netflix) starring Donald Glover and Chevy Chase, which is finally making its Danish debut over a decade after its stateside debut; while Brews Brothers (April 10; Netflix), a comedy about competing brothers who make beer, sounds suspiciously like the backstory of the Bjergsø twins who own Mikkeller and Evil Twin. Finally, among the returning series we have The Good Fight (S4; April 10), Insecure (S4; April 13), What we do in the Shadows (S2; April 16), Bosch (S6; April 18) and Killing Eve (S3; April 13) on HBO Nordic, and After Life on Netflix (S2; April 24). Yes, another dose of the sickly sweet Ricky Gervais series about dying is exactly what we need to get through the coronavirus crisis.

ENGLISH JOB DENMARK Recruitment Announcements Part of The Welcome Group ASSOCIATE MANAGER FOR PRODUCTION, PLANNING AND CAPACITY OPTIMIZATION, NOVO NORDISK It is a great combination of operational leadership and driving more strategic development plans and initiatives, in close corporation with management and our closest partners in the supply chain. Location: Deadline: Contact:

Måløv 23 April 2020 Nikolaj Bastiansen, +45 3075 2446

INDUSTRY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE – MANUFACTURING, SALESFORCE You will work in collaboration with a Senior Industry Business Development manager in a high-profile role to maintain and execute our playbook for your industry in EMEA. Location: Deadline: Contact:

Hellerup When filled applicant_access@ salesforce.com

OPERATIONS ENGINEER, EUROPEAN ENERGY

You will take on responsibility for the daily operation of Solar PV and Wind assets and will manage and maintain agreements and permits. Location: Deadline: Contact:

Søborg When filled Mads Nygaard, Senior Recruitment Specialist, mna@europeanenergy.dk

To advertise your vacancy here and reach 60,000+ readers weekly, contact: info@englishjobdenmark.dk or call 6070 2298. For more information about what we can offer: https://englishjobdenmark.dk/

ENGLISH JOB DENMARK

GROUP FINANCIAL CONTROLLER, BASICO You are expected to play a key role in the process of transforming the financial controlling processes, deliverables and services into having a best-in-class approach and to support the strategic transformation of ISS. Location: Deadline: Contact:

Copenhagen When filled Bjarke Reffstrup, Senior Recruitment Manager, +45 3152 9100

PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR RENESCIENCE PROJECT, ØRSTED

You’ll be responsible for the overall administrative compliance, for coordinating and organising meetings and events, juggling deliveries and activities for management and being the go-to person for your colleagues. Location: Deadline: Contact:

Gentofte 26 April 2020 Mette Lippert, HR Business Partner in Renescience, +45 9955 7768

GLOBAL EVENT MANAGER, SENNHEISER COMMUNICATIONS When you coordinate a fair, all participants have their required material in place, know when and where to be and what to do – while they are guided smoothly through the preparation by you. You are a “go-getter” and excel in communication & coordination. Location: Deadline: Contact:

Ballerup When filled Brynhild Vinskei, Head of Global Marketing, +45 2966 6420

EXPORT MANAGER EUROPEAN MARKETS, DANPO

As Export Manager you will be driving our European sales via managing existing larger customer accounts as well as running sales activities for developing new markets and acquiring new customers. Location: Deadline: Contact:

Give When filled Lasse Iver Wine Jensen, Eksport Manager, +45 3018 4064

LIFECYCLE MARKETING MANAGER, TRUSTPILOT

To support Trustpilot’s rapid expansion, we’re looking for a talented Lifecycle Marketing Manager to join our team in Copenhagen. Location: Deadline: Contact:

Copenhagen When filled business.trustpilot.com/jobs

SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER, ISSUU

We are looking for someone who can work cross-functionally to help take Issuu to the next level of empowering Creators to tell their stories. Location: Deadline: Contact:

Copenhagen When filled https://issuu.com/careers

C19 EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE WEBINAR 22 April from 13:00-14:00

The C19 Employment Assistance Webinar is designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of transitioning into employment in Denmark after COVID-19. Register here Other events

Working together with internationals and companies to better understand the needs of one another. The Welcome Group has created this page and provides additional services, including an online community supporting employment for internationals on Facebook.

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