Schools, kindergartens, nurseries reopen in Denmark

Reopen
Copenhagen, April 15, 2020 (dpa/NAN) Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen visited one of the many schools that reopened on Wednesday after a month of shutdown aimed at stemming the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“They are very happy to see their friends,” the prime minister said, after her visit to the Lykkebo School in the district of Valby in western Copenhagen.

“They had missed being with each other,” she told broadcaster TV2.

After her visit, Frederiksen wrote on Facebook: “Several of the kids told me it’s hard not to give their best friends a reunion hug. I can really understand that.”

The prime minister said she was “deeply impressed” at how quickly the schools had attempted to adjust to the new situation.

She also told TV2 that she understood why some parents felt uncertain about sending their children back to school while the virus is still present in the country, and before much of the rest of the world does.

The reopening affects nurseries, kindergartens and schools up to grade 5.

The gradual return to a new form of everyday life affects almost 400,000 school children from pre-school classes to grade 5, and about 250,000 children in daycare facilities.

Anyone who feels sick or has a COVID-19 case in the family was advised to stay at home for the time being.

By opening the facilities for younger children, the Danish government primarily wants to relieve parents who have had to look after their children while also working from home during the past four weeks.

The reopening hinged on the institutions following the Danish Health Authority’s guidelines on keeping a safe distance and maintaining proper hygiene.

Some institutions will need several more days before they are ready to welcome back pupils and will open on Monday at the latest.

Measures included ensuring that both play and some teaching is conducted outside; there must also be thorough hand-washing routines.

TV2 showed images of how teachers at a school on the island of Funen went for a walk in the forest with their young pupils: The children held on to a long rope, two metres apart from each other, to practise social distancing.

The reopening of nurseries, kindergartens and schools followed progress in stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus, and was part of the government’s first steps towards lifting restrictions brought in during the pandemic.

The government acted quickly after the first case of the virus was recorded in the country and closed borders on March 14.

However, restaurants, cafes, pubs, theatres and other leisure facilities will remain shut until May 10. Borders remain closed. (dpa/NAN)
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Edited by Fatima Sule/Isaac Aregbesola