Officials in Denmark say that loosening coronavirus lockdown restrictions in mid-April has not accelerated the spread of coronavirus.
Denmark began reopening daycare centers and schools for children two weeks ago, followed by hairdressers and other small businesses, and health officials have not noticed an increase in coronavirus cases, according to Reuters.
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“There are no signs that the COVID-19 epidemic is accelerating,” the State Serum Institute said, which is responsible for infectious disease preparedness.
The institute says the “R rate,” which represents the average number of infections caused by an infected person, has increased slightly over the past two weeks but remains below 1.0, which governments across the globe typically view as a level that permits the easing of lockdowns.
“There are no signs whatsoever that the partial reopening has caused a bigger spread of infection,” Danish scientist Christian Wejse told Reuters. “At least there is no indication that we are heading into another wave. That has been the concern, but I can’t see that at all.”
In nearby Sweden, the outlook is similarly positive as doctors are saying that herd immunity from the virus will be achieved soon, and the World Health Organization is praising the country for its response to the virus, which did not include strict lockdown measures.
The news from Denmark comes as countries across the globe, as well as the United States, are trying to determine whether or not it’s safe to reopen their economies in the face of growing protests against virus lockdown measures that many feel are draconian and unnecessary.
Protests have erupted across the U.S., most notably in Michigan and southern California, with people expressing the belief that the danger of the virus no longer warrants, or perhaps never did warrant, the massive job losses and societal ramifications that the lockdowns have caused.
