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TODAY IN DENMARK

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Tuesday

Water sales up at supermarkets after crisis prep announcement, election posters still not all down and more news from Denmark this Tuesday.

Published: 18 June 2024 07:55 CEST
Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Tuesday
The government has recommended stocking enough supplies for three days. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

Supermarkets double sales of water after announcement 

The announcement by authorities that the population should stock up on emergency supplies has resulted in bottled water sales spiking, but the situation has been “calm” according to a spokesperson from a major Danish chain.

Sales of other items have also gone up according to Michael Christensen, section director of Dagrofa, which owns the Meny chain among others.

“There has been a doubling in the sales of water, rice, pasta. Additionally we’ve also seen a significant increase in canned food, salt, batteries and toilet paper,” he told newswire Ritzau.

READ ALSO: CHECKLIST: What supplies should you stock up on according to Danish authorities?

A similar observation was made at Coop, owner of the Kvickly, SuperBrugsen and Discount365 brands.

“Overall, we have not had higher sales than normal. Danes have taken it very calmly, and there are only increased sales on isolated items. Water is an example of this,” director of information at Coop Jens Juul Nielsen said.

READ ALSO: Danish defence analyst: ‘You shouldn’t be worried about war’

Vocabulary: at tage det roligt – to be calm/take it easy

Free fertility treatment for second child to be available from December

Parents wishing for treatment to help them conceive their second child will be able to access fertility treatment through the public health system from December, broadcaster TV2 reports.

That comes after an agreement between the government and the national body for health authorities, Danske Regioner, on state funding.

“If you have a burning desire to have a child but are unable to, that’s a great source of pain. That’s why the government wants to strengthen assistance to involuntarily childless people so that as many as possible get the chance to create the family they dream of,” Health Minister Sophie Løhde told TV2.

The government has previously doubled the number (from three) of fertility treatments available at public fertility clinics.

Vocabulary: en stor smerte – a great pain

Election posters left hanging can result in fines

Any leftover placards from the EU elections a week ago last Sunday can result in the responsible party being fined.

Several such placards can still be spotted on the streets of Copenhagen, Ritzau reports, including at Dronning Louises Bro and Torvehallerne.

The deadline for taking the posters down was June 17th. Authorities can choose to remove them – at a cost of 524 kroner per poster – if they are considered a traffic nuisance.

Vocabulary: trafiksikkerhed – traffic safety

King Frederik opens section of Denmark-Germany tunnel

The first of some 89 different elements of an 18-kilometre tunnel linking Denmark with Germany was inaugurated by King Frederik yesterday.

The King cut a red ribbon at a ceremony marking progress at the Femern Tunnel, which is being constructed after excavation was completed earlier this year.

The ceremony took place at the harbour at Rødby on the Danish side of the tunnel.

The element inaugurated on Monday comprises the first 217 metres of the tunnel and will be sunk later this year.

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TODAY IN DENMARK

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday

Denmark through in Euros but face daunting last-16 task, Copenhagen to close some forest kindergartens but save others, Wegovy approved in China and more Danish news on Wednesday.

Published: 26 June 2024 07:14 CEST
Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday

‘Everything is possible’: Denmark unawed by Euros hosts Germany in last-16

Denmark defender Jannik Vestergaard backed his underdog side ahead of Saturday’s last-16 meeting with Euro 2024 hosts Germany, saying “everything is possible”.

Denmark drew 0-0 with Serbia in Munich on Tuesday but qualified second in the group after the parallel England-Slovenia Group C match finished with the same scoreline.

As a result, Denmark — who reached the semi-finals of the most recent Euros — will face hosts Germany in Dortmund on Saturday.

“Everything is possible,” Vestergaard told MagentaTV after the game.

“The Germans are a strong team. We need a really strong performance and to stop Germany from showing their best form.”

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand called Germany “one of the favourites” for the tournament but said he “had a good feeling about the game”.

“Playing against Germany (in Dortmund) with the Danish team, it couldn’t be better. It’s a great team but we’re a great team as well and when we play the big nations, we always step up,” said the 52-year-old.

Vocabulary: en god fornemmelse – a good feeling

Copenhagen Municipality makes decision on kindergarten cutbacks

A City Council (Borgerrepræsentation) meeting at Copenhagen Municipality yesterday resulted in 14 of 33 kindergartens being spared after they had earlier been earmarked for closure.

Eight of the kindergartens will be closed, the council decided, with the fate of the remaining 11 either undecided or coming down to a partial closure.

The decision was announced in a statement by the municipality after the Council meeting, the top level of decision-making procedure in the city government. The issue was sent to the Council after it failed to pass the lower committee stage, partly due to campaigns by parents against the closures during the hearing stage.

The closures are necessary to cut costs due to a declining number of children living in the capital, the municipality has said.

READ ALSO: Copenhagen forest kindergartens get delay on closure decision

Among the affected kindergartens and creches are several ‘forest kindergartens’, where children spend their entire day outside, including during winter. The concept has past been the focus of international media and praised for its potential learning and developmental benefits.

You can see the list of affected childcare institutions on the municipal statement and we’ll have a separate article with more detail on our website later today.

Vocabulary: daginstitution – daycare/childcare, including creche and kindergarten

Novo Nordisk says weight-loss drug Wegovy approved in China

Novo Nordisk’s flagship weight-loss drug Wegovy has been approved for use in China, the Danish pharmaceutical giant said.

The company — Europe’s largest by market capitalisation — confirmed to news agency AFP on Tuesday that Beijing had given the green light for the breakthrough treatment in people who are overweight or obese with at least one weight-related comorbidity.

It was not clear when Wegovy would be formally launched in China, where Novo Nordisk’s sales rose by 11 percent last year at constant exchange rates.

Its patent in the world’s second-most populous nation expires in 2026.

Based on the semaglutide molecule, Wegovy is seen as spearheading a revolution in the treatment of obesity, a major cause of ill-health across the developed world.

In the United States — the group’s largest such market — Wegovy has also been approved to treat heart disease in adults who are overweight or obese.

Vocabulary: godkendt – approved

One in four stocked up with ‘crisis’ water and food

A significant proportion of the Danish population has followed official advice to ensure they have enough supplies at home to get by for three days in the event of a crisis.

Around a quarter of households have stocked three days’ supplies of water after advice was issued by authorities earlier this month to keep stores in case of a crisis.

A survey for newswire Ritzau by the Voxmeter institute found that around a quarter have already followed the guidelines. Over 1,000 people answered the survey, which was conducted between 6 and 9 days after the announcement.

Some 26 percent said they have sufficient stocks of both food and water, while 72 percent said they did not in the survey conducted between June 21st-24th.

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