Last Week in Denmark (05.12 - 12.12) Episode 42
2022 Denmark’s budget law; New restrictions; Bus drivers; Ban on smoking; Progressive era for Germany
Editor HQ
Thank you for answering our call to action from the previous edition. You have provided us with valuable feedback, which we can use during the planned hiatus (24 December - 15 January), to further develop “Last Week in Denmark”.
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If we become bigger, the government might consider supporting our endeavor.
Public Health HQ
Status: 79% of the population has been vaccinated (4.638.584 people). 76,4% of the population received the second vaccine shot (4.486.874 people). 19,3% of the population received the booster shot (1.136.149 people). The region with the highest vaccination rate - North Denmark (80,6%).
Corona infection status: There is an average of 6500 new infected people every day. 472 people are hospitalized. The region with the highest rate of infection is the Capital Region (Copenhagen and suburbs). The region with the lowest rate of infection is North Denmark.
The age group with the highest infection rate - children between 6 and 11 years old. Most of the people that are hospitalized are not vaccinated.
Travel Guidelines: No changes from last week.
Fully vaccinated, previously infected and people with a negative test can enter Denmark without restrictions*. If you are not vaccinated or previously infected and without a negative test, you must take one in Denmark in the first 24 hours.
*South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Malawi and Zambia turned “red” on the map, which means travel to and from there is discouraged. If you arrived from there in the last 10 days, you need to take a test immediately and enter isolation for 10 days. From now on, you can enter Denmark from that area, only with a “recognizable purpose” and a “negative test”.
Also, from the 1st of December, all passengers coming from Doha and Dubai airports (the list might expand soon), need to be tested upon arrival in Denmark.
From 10th December
Night clubs are closed. Bars and restaurants need to close at midnight. You need to wear a mask inside bars and restaurants when you stand up.
Concerts with more than 50 standing participants have been cancelled.
The government encourages companies to cancel “Julefrokost” or the Christmas party.
The government encourages companies to use “working from home” again more extensively.
From 15th December
Students from 1st to 9th grade will study from home until the Christmas vacation.
From mid-January
Corona pass will be valid 7 months from the last vaccination (compared to 12 months at the moment). An exception is made for 15 to 17 years old - there is no expiration date for their corona pass yet.
Danish Politics HQ
The government in collaboration with SF (Socialist Party), Radikale Venstre (Social Liberal Party), Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance), Alternativet (Green Party) and Kristendemokraterne (Christian Democrat Party) have announced the budget law for 2022.
Headline: Free dental care until 21 years old (from mid-2022)
Education
Overhauling of the education that prepares future teachers (65 mil.).
More and better free time activities for young people (46,8 mil.).
Children can stay an extra year in kindergarten (start school later).
Smaller classes for 0 to 2nd grade (to 26 students per classroom)
Improvement of the FGU institutions (preparatory basic education) (75 mil.).
Investments in the AVU (adult vocational education), FVU (preparatory adult. education), OBU (dyslexia education) and HF-enkeltfag (37 mil.).
8 mil. for the Danish School Chess Association.
37,8 mil. for LEX.dk.
Healthcare
1 billion for the healthcare system (to help it pass the current challenges).
Investments in the delivery wards (better experience for pregnant women and new mothers) + more midwives hired (100 mil.).
Mapping the challenges in psychiatry (3 mil.).
Development of a platform where you can compare prices for dentists (Digital tandlægevælger) (2,2 mil.).
6 mil. for the National Center for headaches to support Denmark’s leading position in migraine and headaches research.
Social
Better care for people with disabilities (40 mil.).
Better elderly care (125 mil.).
Extension of temporary child benefit (midlertidige børnetilskud) until 1st July 2022
15 mil. for the assistance of children part of families with a violent background, or with parents that have a somatic or mental illness.
5,1 mil. to support the participation of poor children in leisure activities.
3,3 mil for better educational and housing conditions for people with special needs.
Green transition
Investment in renewable energy (12,8 mil for 2GW offshore wind).Faster processing of green transition authorizations (more people hired in the Danish Environment Agency, Danish Energy Agency and Nævnenes Hus).
Establishment of a 500 mil. grants pool for technologies that can help Denmark reduce the CO2 emissions (focus on CO2 capture and storage facilities).
Establishment of a 50 mil. grants pool to ensure access to clean tap water all over Denmark.
Development of two marine national parks - Øresund and Lillebælt (10 mil. to hire people and fund knowledge initiatives) and support for the Øresund Aquarium (3 mil.).
Trawl-free zone in Lillebælt, Storebælt and Langelandsbælt (no more fishing with the net – to improve marine environment and the conditions for cod aka torsk to spawn).
Re-establishment of rock reefs (stenrev) (10 mil.).
Development of a forest plan (10 mil.).
Climate aid to other countries (100 mil.).
More attention to “greenwashing” from the Consumer Ombudsman (Forbrugerombudsmanden).
A tax on CO2 emissions is coming in 2022 (after negotiations that will start soon).
Establishment of a diploma education in plant-based nutrition.
Support for small and medium businesses to get CO2 certificates and climate labels (20 mil.).
Support to establish city gardens on roof terraces in the larger cities (14 mil.).
Digitalization
Support for the digital conversion of small and medium enterprises (SMV:Digital) - purchase of competency courses, sparring and networks, guidance on regulation, competition conditions and data security (119,8 mil.).
Ease the business administrative burdens through the app “MinVirksomhed” – development of a climate compass to help calculate climate footprint – standardization of environmental, social, governance data (54,7 mil.).
Development of a portal for researchers and companies that need access to open public data (54,2 mil.).
Establishment of a new technologies grants pool for major projects within the public sector (142,8 mil.).
Explore the possibility to offer video-meetings as alternatives to physical ones within the public sector (9,5 mil.).
Investment in a more holistic and data-driven climate adaptation and flood warning (68,5 mil.).
Development of new digitalization legislation, new rules regarding usage of new technologies (with focus on security and privacy-enhancing technologies).
More people hired within the Danish Data Protection Agency (to strengthen the outreach work – advise and guide companies on the processing of data).
More people hired within the Data Ethics Council (to develop broad public debates on data ethics).
National plan for cybersecurity coming up in 2022.
1 mil. for the Association for Digital Responsibility (knowledge center against digital bullying).
Others
Postponement of 2 billion worth of renovation projects within the public housing sector (to reduce pressure on the construction industry).
The handyman “fradrag” will be abolished from 1st April 2022.
Establishment of a Cultural Analysis Institute to generate more knowledge about the cultural industry and its importance for the citizens (28 mil.).
Education for e-sport coaches and referees (2 mil.).
Minorities
Healthcare staff from outside European Union will have their applications processed faster.
8,2 mil. for efforts against hate crimes.
38,8 mil. for an LGBT+ action plan.
1,9 mil. for counselling of LGBT+ people with minority backgrounds.
3,5 mil for the Finn Nørgaard Association's work to counteract radicalization among vulnerable children and young people.
Danish Economy HQ
Bus drivers, urgently needed. There is a shortage of bus drivers (1000 open positions) which is affecting school transport and flex-bus. The bus company Anchersen is willing to hire very young or older drivers and train those without experience. Most likely, other bus companies have the same opportunity.
Companies affected by the new corona restrictions will be able to apply for help. 2.6 billion dkk worth of aid packages has been prepared. There are compensation schemes for fixed costs, cancelled events and wasted materials, the extension of loan and guarantee.
If you experienced a fall in revenue in December (30%) you can apply for fixed costs compensation.
If you are self-employed or freelancer, you can also apply for compensation if your revenue has dropped 30% in December.
The World in 2021 HQ
Political innovation coming all the way from the other side of the globe. New Zealand has banned the sale of tobacco products to people born after 2008 for the rest of their life. The government has a plan to reduce the “smoker” population to under 5% until 2025 called “Smoke-free 2025”. New Zealand has one of the most restrictive policies for the tobacco industry, surpassed only by Bhutan, where it is illegal to smoke.
European Union HQ
After 16 years of conservative rule, Germany is embarking on a new progressive era, under the leadership of the social-democrat chancellor Olaf Scholz and the so-called “traffic lights” coalition (Social Democrats, Green Party and Liberal Party). The new government announced the following reforms:
Legalization of cannabis.
The end of coal in 2030.
Digitalization of the public sector.
The hourly minimum wage will be raised to 12 euros (from 9.6 today).
The minimum age to vote is reduced to 16 years old (German and European Parliament).
Easier to get a residence permit and German citizenship.
New basic child benefit to reduce child poverty.
The ban on abortion advertising will be removed.
Support for the establishment of the United States of Europe.