18.03.2020
By Sofie Bladt
“It is important to me to keep some form of structure in my life, and part of that is leaving my apartment once in a while” says Emma Petri, a fulltime student at the University of Aarhus.
Reducing the time spent with other people is an important part of limiting the spread of the corona virus, that has caused most of Europe to shut down.
The Danish minister of Health Magnus Heunicke writes on his Facebook page,
“Way too many people are not keeping distance and do apparently not feel it is relevant to do as the authorities say.”
The spread of the infection is inevitable, so the aim is to slow the growth of the number of infected people at once. This way the hospitals and health facilities have enough resources to help everyone. One way to slow the process is for people to avoid public spaces and generally limit their movement.
In a press conference Tuesday evening the Prime Minister strongly advised the nation to follow the guidelines. New actions have been introduced, though they are not as drastic as in France or Italy. It is still allowed to go for a walk, but no gatherings of 10 people or more are allowed.
“I am trying to keep my routines as normal as possible, while still honoring the guidelines made by the Board of Health, but it certainly has been a big change. A part of it is changing your habits, which can be difficult. But I think everyone is starting to realize that it requires something from them as well,” says Emma Petri.