‘Under control’: Denmark says coronavirus spread ‘hasn’t accelerated’ since reopening began

Denmark said on Thursday the spread of Covid-19 has not accelerated since its gradual loosening of restrictions began in mid-April. The first country outside Asia to ease its coronavirus lockdown, Denmark began reopening day care centers and schools for children in first to fifth grades two weeks ago followed by hairdressers and other small businesses on April 20, after seeing the number of infections and deaths decline.

“There are no signs that the Covid-19 epidemic is accelerating,” said the State Serum Institute, which is responsible for preparedness against infectious diseases. The ‘R rate,’ which shows the average number of infections one person with the virus causes, has increased slightly in the past two weeks but remains below 1.0, it said.

Denmark, which was one of the first in Europe to shut down, had 452 Covid-19-related deaths as of Thursday, while the number of hospitalizations has fallen steadily during April, Reuters said.

PM Mette Frederiksen said on Wednesday that the spread of the virus was “under control.” She will present a plan for the next steps in the reopening before May 10.