Prime Minister: Mette Frederiksen

Mette Frederiksen Minister of Justice, Nick Hækkerup

Nick Hækkerup Chief of Police : Thorkild Fogde

: Thorkild Fogde Minister of Foreign Affairs: Jeppe Kofod

This is a rushed transcript. Please let us know if you see any major errors or anything left out.

Bullet Points:

As of tomorrow, March 14th at 12 PM, all travel into Denmark is banned for any non-resident without a valid reason for entering until April 13th

until April 13th A valid reason for entering includes people having residency or working in Denmark, people needing to visit seriously ill relatives, being involved in transportation of goods across the border or having visiting time with their child

Hospitals have been asked to close down all essential tasks and postpone all non-critical surgeries to prepare for the coming influx of coronavirus patients

Mette Frederiksen:

In these days there is a large burden of responsibility on the Danish shoulders. You have wholeheartedly embraced this responsibility. I experienced that a large majority of Danes support these big and drastic decisions we have made and changes everyone’s daily life. We’ll need your patience with these new initiatives.

We have a range of new initiatives against the virus. Before I present them I want to thank you all for the social responsibility that you are showing. It is a large part of getting through the crisis.

If too many are infected at the same time, the health system will collapse and that’s what we’re trying to avoid now.

We’re trying to find solutions for parents who cannot find people to watch their children.

A big thank you to those who help keep the Danes supplied with goods and services, and those who run public transportation. Also a special thanks to the employees in the health system.

Now we have a common responsibility to ensure not too many are infected at the same time.

The current numbers stand 801 have been detected infected, 23 are in hospital, 4 are in intensive, 2 are critical. These numbers must all be expected to increase drastically, even though we are taking action. A lot of what we do now will hopefully have an effect, but it will take time to see this. So keep doing what you’re doing, keep our distance and help each other and be considerate.

A lot is focused on the health system, and the decision made today is to prevent the system collapsing. All hospitals have been told to close for all regular activity. Everything that isn’t necessary must close now in order to avoid infecting staff and to avoid patients infecting each other. But also to give time to the teaching task that needs to happen for staff to be able to handle the critical situation ahead.

A lot of Danes will have surgeries postponed if they are not urgent. When we get past the corona epidemic, the backlog will ensure that the health system will still be under pressure.

Everything we do will be undermined if we continue traveling into and out of Denmark as this increases the risk of more infection.

The Foreign Ministry have changed their guidelines today so all travels are not recommended unless it is strictly necessary, and to come home if you are currently abroad.

What is new is: from tomorrow at 12pm, the Danish borders will close temporarily. Food, goods and medicine can still be imported. But all tourists, all travelers, and all holidays goers and all foreigners who do not have a reason to enter will be rejected at the border. Citizens can always enter.

We must expect in a short time, to see a complete or large closure of all passenger traffic in and out of the country. Trains, airplanes, buses. People commuting across the border should expect queues and longer travel times. Closing the borders will take some time. The control will not be up and running for a couple of days. Expect to see the Danish Defence at the border. The Police still have the responsibility, but they need help with staffing to guard the border. There will be information to Danes abroad and also in countries that have many tourists going to Denmark.

Freight transport will not be included, because we need as much as possible to enter the country. We’re in contact with the transport businesses to help this go as smoothly as possible. The EU commision has been informed, as well as our neighbors Norway, Sweden and Germany about this decision. For now it runs until Easter, the 13th of April.

I hope everyone has understood this: do not go on Easter holiday this year.

These are serious initiatives, but they will not be the last. We will within a short time present help to Danish employees. I would like to say we are in uncharted territory, we have not experienced this before. It will have costs for everyone. I’m sure we will get through it well. This will be experienced strongly, but I believe it is worth it. Because if we don’t do it, the costs will be much much higher.

Minister of Justice Nick Hækkerup:

As the Prime Minister said, the government has decided from tomorrow at 12 to create border control at all borders. In airport, at ferry terminals and on our land border, until the 13th of April.

At the same time, you can only enter Denmark if you have a valid reason. If you work or live in Denmark. Everyone else will be turned away. We follow the development and do what is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. People wanting to enter Denmark should expect delays entering. We will see queues at our border and in the airports. Within a short time we will see a partial or whole closure of flight, train and ferry services. Foreigners should only travel here if they have a valid reason. We’re taking another serious step towards limiting the spread of the coronavirus in denmark. We’re also doing all we can not to prevent the export or import of goods. So initially no checks of goods at the border.

It is important to make clear that these restrictions do not apply to drivers who are transporting goods. So there will still be goods in our shops. This is another big step we take, and people need to stick together. And follow the recommendations of the authorities. I hope people will be understanding of the need for border control and travel restrictions.

Chief of Police:

The Police are preparing for this task. We’re already present on the border and now we close it off. We need to let heavy traffic pass and stop small cars and check if people have a valid reason to enter. Primarily the border to Germany and Sweden and to a lesser extent Norway.

It is mostly aircraft at the large airports, ferries at the terminals, train traffic, Øresund. And car traffic to the border to Germany. It is a large task to shut the border, but thankfully the amount of traffic is already low. From tomorrow we start shutting it.

Minister of Foreign Affairs:

We have as the PM said from our side made a range of initiatives to ensure that Danes abroad can come home as soon as possible and in order. We heavily dissuade Danes from all travelling to avoid stranding abroad. We dissuade all travelling to all countries, from today and until the 13th of April.

Do not travel unless it is absolutely necessary, and if you are currently traveling come home as soon as possible. We’re in contact with the travel agencies to help with this. Generally the Danes abroad can contact their travel agency to help. If problems appear, the Foreign Ministry’s embassies and consulates are of course available if people need help.

I have been in contact with our neighboring countries today and yesterday, and these initiatives have been communicated to them. Everyone who is monitoring this epidemic can see strict measures are necessary and so our neighbors are understanding. We will continuously have discussions with our neighbors and maintain close coordination.



Finally, we have different recommendations for Danes who live abroad, they can stay where they are. But if you are currently traveling, come home.

Q: This is a very dramatic situation. We basically close all travel in or out. People are currently waiting for friends and family members to visit? What happens if they arrive anyway?

A: If they do not have a valid reason to enter, if it is a family visit, they will be turned around and asked to leave. It is a general prohibition to enter the country without a valid reason.

Q: How has this been cleared with other countries? Very few countries are doing this. How are they reacting?

A: PM: Looking at the EU today, the coronavirus has taken a really strong hold. We are the region hardest hit now, and the countries are following various strategies. There is a close cooperation, both in terms of health systems, but as a PM i choose the strategy I find correct on the basis of the feedback from the Danish authorities. At the same time I want to make clear that when we look at the outher countries in the EU now, their strategies are changing from hour to hour, and several other countries have either already added travel restriction and are considering to do so.

Q: Are you considering other options? The Czech Republic and Poland are screening at their borders, is that something we could do instead?

A: PM: We have considered many things, and so far we haven’t had border control. When we make this decision, it is because we ask the Danes to sacrifice a lot. This will have enormous consequences, for instance for all the people who cannot get childcare. When we ask Danes to make such big sacrifices, the situation surrounding them must also be good enough. We may undermine the effect at home if the travelling continues unrestricted. So we now take this drastic decision to support our national strategy.

Q: Our national strategy, to close down the public sector, is set to last for 2 weeks, this is to last for 4 weeks. Does it mean the national strategy will be extended?

A: No, the duration of the travel restriction is related to the length of the Foreign Ministry’s travel advice for Danes. The recommendation that Danes do not travel at all lasts until Easter, so it makes sense to have the incoming travel restrictions follow that. The national shutdown of public servants is still planned to last for 2 weeks.

Q: Specifically, what is a valid reason for entering denmark?

A: Minister of Justice: A specific assessment will be made. But for instance people who live or work in Denmark. Who delivers goods to or from Denmark. People coming to see their children or visit ill family members or have another urgent reason to visit family. An ordinary family visit is not a valid reason.

Q: How would this be documented? Do you not risk groups of people at the borders who don’t know how to prove they have a valid reason to enter?

A: We expect a large majority will be in a situation that they can prove that they have a right to be here or work. Beyond that the Police have to make individual assessments.

Q: I’ve been to the all the press conferences today. Should we be very worried or is it all under control? Two days ago the infection was said to be under control. But now the big button has been pushed. Has something happened in the last hours that means we are going over the edge?

Q: Have you been tested for the virus in the government, have the ministers ministers and servicers been tested, have anyone tested positive?

A: PM: regarding the situation. We know some things, but we don’t know it all. We see the situation in Italy developing catastrophically. Many ill and many critically ill. Everything we do is to ensure we get through this in a different way. That we avoid so many infected at one point. And to avoid closing everything down like Italy has. To describe the situation in one word would be: Serious.

We our task is to do all we can to reduce the spread of infection. This is very very serious. We would not make decisions if it wasn’t. Is the situation under control? We take the precautions we consider necessary to soften the spread of infection. I think we will see more infected Danes, that we will see critical ill, and we expect deaths. And no matter how well we plan for it, there will be capacity challengers in the health system. But we need to try and limit it much as possible.

As far as I know, no other ministers have been tested but I have been tested, since I have had mild symptoms, I’m feeling well now and the test came back negative. The Foreign Minister has also been tested.

Q: To invoke such a drastic action, does this assume a large dark figure? (A large number of undetected infections)

A: PM: Yes we expect that is the case, both here and abroad. The expectation is that there is a large dark figure.

Q: Today large hotel chains fired a lot of people. Closing the border will remove a lot of their business. What will you do to help?

A: PM: The businesses that are hard hit from the beginning are in what we call the experience economy. Transport, hotel, restaurants. This is clear if you move around the city. The Danes stay home and this quickly affects the activity. The strategy we have chosen with businesses is to help with liquidity to help the businesses through this. Then compensation for canceled events. We will also look into profession-specific issues. Hotels will be early targets for this. But it will also affect the production of industry, because they in many cases cannot get shipments.

Q: The United State’s travel ban doesn’t affect goods? You mentioned food and medicine but can you confirm that no goods are affected?

A: PM: Yes, no goods are affected.

Q: You started by explaining that people at the hospitals, this emergency law, that the Minister of Health can choose to ban hospital visits. Why is that not in effect now?

A: PM: There is already a strong recommendation not to visit relatives in the hospital. I heard that the activity is strongly decreasing. Like the other things, if we need to we will legislate. But no matter how much we ask parliament to legislate, we will not solve this situation without all Danes taking responsibility.

Q: To understand the extent of this with border control, how many foreigners do you will be affected by this, compared to a normal situation?

A: Chief of Police: That is difficult to say exactly, we expect a bump, especially on the German border, and on the Øresund, commuters going to Copenhagen from Sweden. And flights from coming from the Schengen area. The first days we expect travelers that must be sent back. We expect stabilization after that. We will do our best to inform you of this. Some days of blockages are expected.

Q: Will we see videos of thousands of people in the airport transit hall?

A: PM: We do not expect that. We expect the communication passed out will prevent people traveling to Denmark unless they have a valid reason to do so.

Chief of Police: We assume the people coming back are Danes that are coming back as requested. That will not be an issue. We assume the tourists will understand.

Q: Looking at the world map it has turned orange or red everywhere. But looking at the numbers of infections in Denmark is high compared to the countries around us. Isn’t this happening too soon. How many of these countries have less infected than us?

A: PM: We must see that the virus is spreading and all EU countries have it now. We expect the entire world to be affected. Travel patterns, both in and out are important. We need to stop travel, also to prevent us spreading the infection to other countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs: It is also related to other countries adding travel and local restrictions. Danes can become stranded when traveling. So it is also to be cautions, one can end up in a country that isn’t red currently, but can become that. And this can create issues.

Q: The Prime Minister says that the Danes should not travel. When should we expect that we start putting limits on transportation within the country?

A: We are considering everything. There are already restrictions on public transportation, to ensure that it is less crowded. I cannot give a set answer about what happens next week, but the recommendation is to avoid all non essential activity, and this includes traveling within the country.