Norway and Denmark will reopen their borders to each other as coronavirus restrictions are eased, but not to their lockdown-free Scandinavian neighbour Sweden.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on Friday Denmark will reopen its borders from June 15 to residents of Germany, Norway and Iceland but ‘with restrictions’, while Norway said it would do so for Danish visitors.
Norwegian, German and Icelandic tourists entering Denmark will have to prove they have booked at least six nights in the country and will not be able to stay overnight in Copenhagen.
But both Norway and Denmark said they will not open up to Swedish visitors due to its high coronavirus infection rate.
Norway and Denmark will reopen their borders to each other as coronavirus restrictions are eased, but not to their lockdown-free Scandinavian neighbour Sweden. Pictured, people sit in a restaurant in Stockholm on May 29
Sweden’s rolling 7-day average death rate is an astonishing 11 times higher than the world average of 0.49 deaths for every million people over the same period
Denmark has delayed a decision as to whether to reopen the border Sweden until after the summer.
‘So far, we have done well as a country,’ Frederiksen said. ‘We have the infection under control. We can feel an optimism spreading in the country. And also an impatience, which is totally understandable.’
‘But we must underline that we are not over the corona crisis,’ she said.
Sweden, which refused to impose a lockdown and kept its borders and schools open, has seen 5.59 deaths for every million people per day on a rolling seven-day average in the week to May 29.
The rate is an astonishing 11 times higher than the world average of 0.49 deaths for every million people over the same period.
Sweden’s death rate per capita is almost ten times higher than Norway and four times more than Denmark.
Large gatherings were banned but restaurants and schools for younger children have stayed open.
The government urged social distancing, and Swedes have largely complied.
Sweden’s lack of lockdown has caused its neighbours to deny its request for co-ordinated Nordic action. Pictured, people gather at a park in Stockholm on May 29
Sweden’s death rate per capita is almost ten times higher than Norway and four times more than Denmark. Pictured, people walk in Drottninggatan, Stockholm, during rush hour
But authorities in Sweden were criticised – and have apologised – for failing to protect the elderly, and nursing home residents.
But Sweden’s lack of lockdown has caused its neighbours to deny its request for co-ordinated Nordic action, despite Swedish ministers asking Denmark, Norway and Finland to act together in Nordic co-operation.
Other countries including Greece, Estonia and Latvia have also refused to open up to Swedish visitors.
Norway’s prime minister Erna Solberg said Oslo will enter talks with Sweden and Finland but stressed it would look closely at the infection rate.
Danish authorities are also in conversation with Sweden and were considering opening up to certain parts of the country, such as the southern region of Skane, the Financial Times reported.
Norwegian, German and Icelandic tourists coming to Denmark will have to show they have booked at least six nights in the country and will not be able to stay overnight in Copenhagen.
Greece, Estonia and Latvia have also refused to open up to Swedish visitors due to their refusal to impose lockdown. Pictured, people gather at a park in Stockholm
In Sweden, large gatherings were banned but restaurants and schools for younger children stayed open. Swedes largely complied to the government urging social distancing. Pictured, people play chess at a Stockholm park
But the scale of the different Covid-19 infection rates was shown on Friday when Sweden announced 84 new deaths, bringing its total to 4,350.
Norway and Denmark both reported no new deaths on Friday, standing at totals of 237 and 568 individually.
Mikael Damberg, Sweden’s minister for home affairs, urged his neighbours not to ‘weaken Nordic co-operation’. He added there was a ‘common vision that the Nordic region shall be one of the world’s most integrated regions. We will not get there by closing borders’.
Finland’s ministers have instead looked at trying to join the Baltic travel bubble between Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
But Sweden’s GDP figures have proved it was one of the few European countries to see economic growth this year.
The GDP increased by 0.1 per cent compared with the fourth quarter. But the country’s economy is expected to contract by around 7 per cent this year.
Denmark estimated its economy would shrink by 5.3 per cent this year.
Sweden announced 84 new deaths on Friday, bringing its total to 4,350, as Norway and Denmark both reported no new deaths. Pictured, people sit in a restaurant in Stockholm
Sweden’s GDP figures have proved it was one of the few European countries to see economic growth this year, but the economy is expected to contract by around 7 per cent this year
Denmark was the second country in Europe, after Italy, to impose a strict nationwide lockdown, on March 11, and the quick response has been credited with keeping reported infections and deaths comparatively low.
Norway went into lockdown the next day, and has been among the European countries quickest to reopen.
Norwegian schools will return to normal next week, with no social distancing regulations.
Denmark have also seen zoos and theme parks reopening alongside non-essential shops, hairdressers and restaurants.
‘By reacting quickly, we put ourselves in a good situation,’ Allan Randrup Thomsen, professor in virology at Copenhagen University, told Associated Press.
‘We know that everything went well by reopening the (lower classes in) schools and nothing came from there,’ he said, but cautioned: ‘Later on, we re-opened more or less everything simultaneously, making it more difficult to find out if something went wrong and where it happened.’
Danish hospitals have started winding down their coronavirus measures, but can ramp up intensive care units again if needed.