SHARE
COPY LINK

V

VIDEO: Thousands of Danes to join coronavirus musical clap-along

More than 10,000 Danes have signed up for a coordinated three-minute explosion of clapping and musical noise at 7pm on Monday, following in the steps of the balcony sing-a-longs seen in Italy and Spain.

VIDEO: Thousands of Danes to join coronavirus musical clap-along
The clap-along in Vesterbro on Sunday night quickly rippled through along Gråstensgade (pictured). Photo: Google Maps
The actor Rasmus Hammerich expanded the 7pm clap-along, which he launched on a small scale near his home in Copenhagen's Vesterbro district, into a national event on Monday morning, after more than 16,000 people expressed interest in less than 24 hours. 
 
“My Facebook account is lit,” he laughed, when The Local contacted him. “I think it's a good idea for everybody to recognise that we're still here, that we're in this together, and that we're doing this for a reason.” 
 
The group's Facebook page asks people to “clap and make some noise for Denmark”: “Let us applaud those holding the system together! Let us applause those sitting alone, so they don't feel so alone! Let's give cheer because we are together in all this!” 
 
Hammerich said he had decided not to follow the Italian and Spanish example and ask people to sing a particular song “because the singing tradition in Denmark isn't so great and I thought people would be too shy to do it”.  He said he also felt songs were “too personal”  
 
“Some people don't like the national anthem, some people do, so I say 'if you want to sing, then sing',  but I won't recommend any song.” 
 
Hammerich said that in Vesterbro on Sunday night, the applause and noise he and his friends made cheering and bashing pots had had quickly rippled through the streets. 
 
“Because it was so quiet, people opened their own windows and started doing it. At the end of the three minutes, people in my street in Copenhagen started shouting 'good night' to everybody and it was really beautiful.” 
 
He is calling on those who join the event on Monday evening end by shouting in unison “Good night, see you in the morning!”. 
 
Here's a video of the clapping, cheering and pot banging in Vesterbro on Sunday night (courtesy of Maria Bartholomaeussen). 
 
 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

COVID-19

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

Sweden's Public Health Agency is recommending that those above the age of 80 should receive two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn, as it shifts towards a longer-term strategy for the virus.

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

In a new recommendation, the agency said that those living in elderly care centres, and those above the age of 80 should from March 1st receive two vaccinations a year, with a six month gap between doses. 

“Elderly people develop a somewhat worse immune defence after vaccination and immunity wanes faster than among young and healthy people,” the agency said. “That means that elderly people have a greater need of booster doses than younger ones. The Swedish Public Health Agency considers, based on the current knowledge, that it will be important even going into the future to have booster doses for the elderly and people in risk groups.” 

READ ALSO: 

People between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and young people with risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, poor kidney function or high blood pressure, are recommended to take one additional dose per year.

The new vaccination recommendation, which will start to apply from March 1st next year, is only for 2023, Johanna Rubin, the investigator in the agency’s vaccination programme unit, explained. 

She said too much was still unclear about how long protection from vaccination lasted to institute a permanent programme.

“This recommendation applies to 2023. There is not really an abundance of data on how long protection lasts after a booster dose, of course, but this is what we can say for now,” she told the TT newswire. 

It was likely, however, that elderly people would end up being given an annual dose to protect them from any new variants, as has long been the case with influenza.

SHOW COMMENTS