Last Week in Denmark (21.11 - 28.11) Episode 40
The mask is back! Restrictions; Vaccination for children; Corona pass at work
Editor HQ
Three more editions of the newsletter and we will reach our first milestone: one year of existence. In the next month, we will expand the “Last Week in Denmark” team with positions within marketing and content. So if you are interested in joining our team for 2022, keep an eye out on the next editions :)
Public Health HQ
Status: 77,5% of the population has been vaccinated (4.553.329 people). 75,7% of the population received the second vaccine shot (4.447.093 people). 12,4% of the population received the booster shot (728.073 people).
The region with the highest vaccination rate - North Denmark (79,3%).
From Monday (29th November), children between 6 and 11 years old will be invited for vaccination.
Corona infection status: There is an average of 4000 new infected people every day. 426 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.
Corona is back: After we managed to escape the pandemic nightmare for a few good months, now it seems we are dragged back into it. 54 out of 98 municipalities have already crossed the infection limits and now are encouraged to take action. The hospitals are once again under huge pressure (pandemic + nurse strike and shortage = not a great combination) and waiting lists for operations are until the summer of 2022.
Travel Guidelines: No changes.
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.
Restrictions are back from Monday (29th November):
Mask is required on the: healthcare system, public transport (buses, trains, flights) and when you go shopping.
Corona pass is required on the: university, adult education and language schools; when you go to get a haircut; big events.
The validity of negative tests has been shortened: a negative quick test is valid 48 hours (instead of 72) and a negative PCR test is valid 72 hours (instead of 96).
Early adopters: Last week we announced that you might need to show a valid corona passport to go to work (if you work in the public sector). Aalborg Kommune already made this step. People working in elderly care need a valid corona passport from this week.
On 26th November, a new law was passed that allows your employer to request a corona pass from you, even if you work in the private sector.
Danish Politics HQ
The average age of local politicians: In South Denmark (inclusive Fyn), the average age of locally elected politicians will rise to 51 years old from 45 years old today. Despite a significant number of young candidates present on the lists, few of them got elected.
Progress for gender equality: More than half of the elected people to the five Regional Councils are women. 103 out of 205 to be more exact. This is a record compared with previous elections.
Public housing: The government decided to invest 10 billion dkk in the next decade to make housing more affordable in the four large cities of Denmark. This should allow people with a lower income to live in the most-desired residential districts. Initiatives: Convert private housing into public housing; Convert commercial properties into public housing; Public housing associations should be able to buy land in the most expensive areas of the city.
Influencers vs. regulation: The parliament changed the Marketing Law and from 1st of January 2022, it is illegal for influencers to advertise certain services or products to audiences under 18 years old (tattoos, cosmetic surgery, hair removal, teeth whitening, energy drinks, lose weight products, tanning beds, sugar dating).
Danish Economy HQ
Record employment: 2.882.000 people in Denmark have a job. 80.000 more than before the pandemic. 13.000 found work in September. 33.000 jobs are available right now. The figures are from Statistics Denmark.
Higher salaries: The National Bank of Denmark expects large wage increases in the next year. Why? Unemployment is at its lowest since 2009; Rapid recovery of the economy.
Better tax control: The government allocated 350 million dkk for better tax control. This is the third stage of the tax reform (that should tighten tax control and increase people’s confidence in the tax system) and it means a lot of new jobs in the field. In the first stage, 250 people got hired (in Fredericia and Frederikssund). Now, 100 people will be hired for the new centers in Slagelse and Ringe. The last stage means tax centres in Svendborg and Frederikshavn. At the end of the tax reform in 2023, the tax authorities should have 1000 more people hired.
COVID sick days: Companies and self-employed can apply for reimbursement of sick day benefits. That is if the sick days have been taken in connection with COVID. This doesn’t apply if you are able to work from home.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
Cyberattack on Jobnet: 860.000 users on Jobnet have to create a new password after a phishing attack on the website. The hackers redirected job seekers from Jobnet’s website to a fake website, to steal their information. The Center for CyberSecurity has closed the fake website. Unfortunately, Denmark is heavily understaffed in the field of cybersecurity and welcomes with open arms anyone with skills in this area.
Paid to study: Herning Municipality offers salaries to anyone that wants to start a social and health (SOSU) education. The municipality lacks social and health assistants and therefore is willing to invest.
Danish values on the citizenship test: Twice a year, you are able to take a citizenship test (that represents the first step towards becoming a Danish citizen). Until this year, to pass the test you needed knowledge on culture, history and geography. From now on, you also need to know the so-called “Danish values” (gender equality, LGBT rights, etc.).
Mobile emergency room: In Copenhagen (Rådhuspladsen), for the next three weeks, a yellow truck will be used as an emergency room. Why? It’s “Julefrokost” (Christmas parties) season and in this period, the number of people that show up at the emergency room increases dramatically.
The World in 2021 HQ
Cannabis delivery: Street pushers need to watch their back. UBER Eats is after their street corner, after they decided to deliver cannabis in Ontario (Canada).
Planetary defense: NASA launched a mission called DART (Dual Asteroid Redirection Test), that can protect Earth in the future from asteroid collisions. They are currently testing it on an asteroid to see if they can push it off course.
News from the Eastern Border (Ukraine, Belarus, Russia)
The United Kingdom warned Russia that any attack on Ukraine would be a “grave mistake”. NATO is preparing support for Ukraine.
The separatist forces in Eastern Ukraine have begun mobilization of the “reserve army”. The Russian military presence at the border increased significantly. There are talks of war.
Ukraine gathered troops from the National Guard, police and armed forces (inclusive anti-tank and airborne units) at the border with Belarus.
The United States is concerned with the president of Bulgaria (Rumen Radev) remarks, where he refers to Crimea as “Russian”. Bulgaria wants to maintain ties with Russia.
European Union HQ
The first female prime-minister in Sweden: Magdalena Andersson has been approved by Sweden's parliament as the country's first-ever female prime minister, after replacing Stefan Lofven as leader of the Social Democrats. However, she resigned a few hours later after she lost the support from her coalition partner (the Green Party).
Assisted suicide in Italy: A 43-year-old quadriplegic man in Italy has the approval of regional health authorities to end his own life, marking Italy’s first case of legal assisted suicide. So far, you can get suicide assistance in Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Reform of EU’s common agricultural policy:
10% of the budget allocated for small and medium-size farms.
3% for young farmers.
Yearly crisis reserve of 450 million euro (to deal with price or market instability).
25% of the direct payments are for environmental and climate measures.
Penalties for those who breach labor rules.