"Why Denmark is taking steps to open up again
Denmark is about to make its first move to relax restrictions imposed to fight coronavirus.
From Wednesday, children aged 11 and younger return to schools and nurseries, after a month of closures.
It's among the first European countries aiming to put the lockdown into gradual reverse, just as it was one of the first to impose restrictions.
"It's important we don't keep Denmark closed for longer than we need to," said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, as she announced the move last week.
The spread of coronavirus appears to be under control and the government wants to get the economy going again.
But Denmark's moves will be slow and cautious. Ms Frederiksen likened them to walking a tightrope.
"If we open Denmark too quickly again, we risk infections rising too sharply and then we'll have to close down again," she said.
<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6375px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); clear: both;">
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES<figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;">Image captionDeserted streets in Copenhagen</figcaption></figure>Denmark's borders will remain shut.
Who else is easing the lockdown?
Norway and Austria are also scaling back restrictions slowly.
In Austria some shops reopen this Tuesday, followed by other stores, restaurants and hotels in May.
Children go back to Norway's kindergartens on 20 April and junior schools a week later.
In Bulgaria farmers' markets are reopening. In the Czech Republic, shops selling building materials and bikes are back in business and rules have been relaxed for open-air recreation areas.
Spain, which along with Italy has been hardest hit by Covid-19, aims to allow non-essential workers back to work from Monday and will hand out protective masks at stations.
But for many countries the easing of restrictions still lies ahead. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said it's too early to consider an exit strategy. And the head of the World Health Organization has warned against lifting stay-at-home measures too fast.
So why is Denmark ready to move?
Compared with other European countries, Denmark was an early mover. A raft of restrictions was announced on 11 March, 12 days before measures were introduced in the UK.
Gatherings have been limited to 10 people, the workforce told to stay home, and the borders shut.
<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6375px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); clear: both;">
Image copyrightREUTERS<figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;">Image captionPM Mette Frederiksen: Easing restrictions will be very gradual</figcaption></figure>It's in stark contrast to neighbouring Sweden, which continued pretty much business as usual, and only recently curbed group sizes from 500 to 50 people.
However, Denmark's lockdown has been far less restrictive than those in France or the UK.
There is no stay-at-home order. Although bars, gyms and hairdressers are closed, many shops remain open.
<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6375px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); clear: both;">
Image copyrightADRIENNE MURRAY<figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;">Image captionA one-way sign directs joggers round a park to help keep them apart</figcaption></figure>Health data suggests Denmark's efforts are paying off.
"I think we are ready for a controlled reopening," says Hans Joern Kolmos, a professor in clinical microbiology at the University of Southern Denmark.
Has Denmark seen the back of the outbreak?
Some 6,000 cases and 260 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded up to 11 April.
Crucially, total numbers of hospital admissions and patients in intensive care have fallen since the beginning of the month.
<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6375px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); clear: both;">
Image copyrightAFP<figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;">Image captionA cleaner in the strangely quiet Copenhagen metro</figcaption></figure>"We still have plenty of capacity, both in terms of ordinary beds, ICU [intensive care] beds and ventilators," says Prof Kolmos.
However, the country needs to be ready for potential "flare-ups" of the virus. "This means that we have to build up testing capacity," he adds.
What will change?
Opening up may prove trickier than closing down.
School guidelines are still being ironed out. There needs to be more distance between children, stricter cleaning regimes and more outdoor classes.
"This is not going to be a normal school day, from day one," says Dorte Lange, Vice President of the Danish Teachers' Union.
"Our members are filled with questions on how should we manage to do this in a safe way," says Ms Lange. "There are not two schools that are alike."
<figure class="media-landscape no-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6375px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both;"></figure>
Denmark is about to make its first move to relax restrictions imposed to fight coronavirus.
From Wednesday, children aged 11 and younger return to schools and nurseries, after a month of closures.
It's among the first European countries aiming to put the lockdown into gradual reverse, just as it was one of the first to impose restrictions.
"It's important we don't keep Denmark closed for longer than we need to," said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, as she announced the move last week.
The spread of coronavirus appears to be under control and the government wants to get the economy going again.
But Denmark's moves will be slow and cautious. Ms Frederiksen likened them to walking a tightrope.
"If we open Denmark too quickly again, we risk infections rising too sharply and then we'll have to close down again," she said.
<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6375px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); clear: both;">
Who else is easing the lockdown?
Norway and Austria are also scaling back restrictions slowly.
In Austria some shops reopen this Tuesday, followed by other stores, restaurants and hotels in May.
Children go back to Norway's kindergartens on 20 April and junior schools a week later.
In Bulgaria farmers' markets are reopening. In the Czech Republic, shops selling building materials and bikes are back in business and rules have been relaxed for open-air recreation areas.
Spain, which along with Italy has been hardest hit by Covid-19, aims to allow non-essential workers back to work from Monday and will hand out protective masks at stations.
But for many countries the easing of restrictions still lies ahead. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said it's too early to consider an exit strategy. And the head of the World Health Organization has warned against lifting stay-at-home measures too fast.
So why is Denmark ready to move?
Compared with other European countries, Denmark was an early mover. A raft of restrictions was announced on 11 March, 12 days before measures were introduced in the UK.
Gatherings have been limited to 10 people, the workforce told to stay home, and the borders shut.
<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6375px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); clear: both;">
However, Denmark's lockdown has been far less restrictive than those in France or the UK.
There is no stay-at-home order. Although bars, gyms and hairdressers are closed, many shops remain open.
<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6375px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); clear: both;">
"I think we are ready for a controlled reopening," says Hans Joern Kolmos, a professor in clinical microbiology at the University of Southern Denmark.
Has Denmark seen the back of the outbreak?
Some 6,000 cases and 260 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded up to 11 April.
Crucially, total numbers of hospital admissions and patients in intensive care have fallen since the beginning of the month.
<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6375px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); clear: both;">
However, the country needs to be ready for potential "flare-ups" of the virus. "This means that we have to build up testing capacity," he adds.
What will change?
Opening up may prove trickier than closing down.
School guidelines are still being ironed out. There needs to be more distance between children, stricter cleaning regimes and more outdoor classes.
"This is not going to be a normal school day, from day one," says Dorte Lange, Vice President of the Danish Teachers' Union.
"Our members are filled with questions on how should we manage to do this in a safe way," says Ms Lange. "There are not two schools that are alike."
<figure class="media-landscape no-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6375px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both;"></figure>