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More reopenings: Efterskole students returning from today; partial returns for other school children; good news for large stores

Ben Hamilton
March 15th, 2021


This article is more than 3 years old.

More students can return from today (photo: flickr/ccarlstead)

Today’s reopenings will see thousands of children return to education across Denmark – most notably efterskole and full-time folk high students.

Previously, only efterskole schools on Bornholm and in north and west Jutland had been permitted to open.

Public schools on islands without bridges can open up entirely, thus following the lead of Bornholm, where the general assembly limit has been raised from five to ten.

Partially returning
Graduating students at public schools (Grade 9) and gymnasiums (typically ages 18-19) in east Jutland, south Jutland, Funen, west Zealand and South Zealand are also returning, albeit at a 50 percent capacity. 

In other areas of the country, the graduating students can return for one day a week.

The same is true for Grades 5-8 at the public schools, who will be able to return for one day a week, as will the first and second year students at the gymnasiums. Preferably they should spend the day outside.

At the gymnasiums, a corona test taken within the last 72 hours is a requirement. For younger students it is a recommendation. 

Grades 0-4 returned to school in early February

Good news for department stores
Large shops (in excess of 5,000 sqm) can now reopen, providing they can demonstrate they can restrict the number of their customers to 250.

Failing that, they can continue with the appointment system some of the stores have been using.

In stores of less than 2,000 sqm, at least 10 sqm per customer is needed; in stores of 2,000-5000 sqm, 20 sqm is required.

It would appear that large stores in shopping centres will remain closed, unless they have their own outdoor entrance.


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A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”