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Denmark reopens gradually on 10 May and 18 May

On a beautiful spring evening, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen presented the next steps from her official residence at Marienborg.

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By Bente D. Knudsen Picture: Screen dump from DR1’s transmission

After a long day’s negotiation with all political parties in parliament, Mette Frederiksen came out to explain the first steps of phase two that had been agree upon.

She stressed that it had been a unique situation both to close the society but even more to work on reopening it again. She stressed that there had been good discussions and that the plan she was to present had been decided on in agreement between all 10 parties in parliament.

The plan has been made taking several items in consideration, first and foremost the health factor, to ensure that the opening could be done while continuing to contain the virus, other items were of course opening measures which were important for the economy and the financial situation of the society.

The balancing act will depend on the country’s citizens as they must continue to respect the measures of distancing and hand hygiene.

10 May is one date, on this date all retail businesses are allowed to open, and the professional sports activities may also reopen.

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18 May a range of other activities may reopen

Such as restaurants, cafés, and bars with large restrictions on number of people, the hours allowed to open and the amount of time a guest can be in the location.

The school classes from 6 to 10 grade may reopen as well as the efterskoler. A range of restrictions will apply, and the Prime Minister warned school students that their school day would not be the same as before the outbreak.

Libraries would be able to open for loans and returns, and religious locations as well as outdoor sports.

Reporters present were somewhat confused as to the limit of max. 10 people together is maintained which means that those allowed to reopen must rethink how they can do so while respecting the 10 people limitation measures.

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The Prime Minister said that how the reopening would take place in more practical terms is to be discussed between the partners involved and that for instance each municipality is to find out how they can reopen schooling for the older students while taking the distancing measures into consideration. Not all schools will be able to open in the same way.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the Danish society has a good position to start reopening the society more, the Danish citizens have respected the many measures put in place which have had a huge impact on the spread of the virus, and that this second phase is only possible if these measures continue to be respected.

Concerning the opening of the Danish borders, Mette Frederiksen stressed that this was being discussed with Denmark’s neighbours and that border openings would be part of another set of discussions. However, she said she did not think the borders would open before 1 June but that at this date at the latest a plan would be presented.

A longer-term plan is to be negotiated with the other political parties, which will start this evening after the end of the press meeting on 7 May.

One of the plans to be discussed will stretch until the end of the summer and another for the period after the summer.

More updates when they become public / Your Danish Life Team

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