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TODAY IN DENMARK

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday

Find out what's going on in Denmark today with The Local's short roundup of the news in less than five minutes.

Morning traffic in Aalborg on December 1st 2021.
Morning traffic in Aalborg on December 1st 2021. Photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix

Two additional Omicron Covid-19 cases confirmed 

Two more Covid-19 cases in Denmark have been confirmed as caused by the new Omicron variant, the national infectious disease agency SSI said yesterday afternoon.

The new cases bring the total number of incidences of the variant in Denmark to at least four, with several more still under investigation.

All cases so far are connected to travel to South Africa, the country which first detected and raised the alarm over the variant last week.

A school in Odense which was closed due to a suspected case with the variant meanwhile said that Omicron had been found not to have been at play in the case in question.

Snowstorms in Zealand and Jutland

Much of the country is seeing heavy snow or sleet this morning, with weather following the warnings earlier issued by met office DMI of snowstorms in much of Jutland and northern parts of Zealand.

Temperatures are between freezing point and 2 degrees Celsius, so any snow that settles is likely to quickly melt.

The weather could cause traffic delays and motorists are advised to take the conditions into account.

Government to present updated list of underprivileged areas

The government will today publish an updated list of areas which are considered “udsatte” or underprivileged, including the list formerly known as the “ghetto list”. That term has now fortunately been scrapped in official references to the list.

In order to be included on the list, a housing area must meet a set number of criteria. The criteria relate to factors including the ethnic backgrounds of residents, employment status and income.

The list is relevant because neighbourhoods included on it on the list can be subjected to special treatment under the law, including harsher punishments for certain crimes, mandatory daycare for children, and housing reforms which can force people to move.

The list is renewed annually on December 1st.

READ ALSO: Denmark cracks down on ‘non-Western’ neighbourhoods

Long-term unemployment down but still higher than before pandemic

The number of people classed as langtidsledige or long-term unemployed has declined in recent months but is still some way of reaching pre-Covid levels, according to official figures reported by news wire Ritzau.

To fall into the category, a person must have been out of work for 80 percent of the last 12 months.

October saw the number of people in that situation fall by 3,500 to 27,965. It peaked in April this year at 42,300. Before Covid-19 hit Denmark, there were around 24,500 long-term unemployed.

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TODAY IN DENMARK

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday

Teachers report worsening violence, Danish electric car firm faces bankruptcy, hotdog stall flat out after winning 'best frikadelle' award, and more news from Denmark on Thursday.

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday

Teachers report worsening violence at Danish schools

Near half of the teachers who responded to a survey by the Danish Union of Teachers said that they witnessed violent behaviour between students on a daily or weekly basis, with slightly more than half saying that violent episodes were getting more common. 

The survey was carried out after a string of severe bullying cases at Danish primary schools have been reported in the media. 

Fully 359 of the 2,426 teachers who responded to the survey said they witnessed students hitting, kicking, pushing, throwing objects, biting or spitting at eachother on a daily basis, with 817 saying this happened weekly. 

Some 624 said there were significantly more episodes than five years ago and 619 that there were slightly more episodes. Around 540 said that the number of episodes was about the same. 

The survey, which was carried out along with the broadcaster TV2, followed reports of violence and abuse at Borup Skole in Køge Municipality.

Danish vocabulary: skub – pushing

Danish electric car firm faces bankruptcy

Fisker Inc, the electric car firm founded by the Danish automative designer Henrik Fisker, is sharply cut the prices of most of its models as it faces a bankruptcy, the Business Insider wesbite has reported. 

On Tuesday, the company announced that its Ocean SUV would become $6,700 cheaper, making it only slightly more that half of the price of Tesla’s Model X. 

The announcement came after a potential deal between Fisker and a “major car manufacturer” collapsed, sending shares plummeting. 

Danish vocabulary: konkurs – bankrupcty

More Danes seek help with confirmation costs

Charities in Denmark such as Dansk Folkehjælp, Børnesagens Fællesråd, and Foreningen til Støtte af Mødre og Børn, have reported that growing numbers of people in Denmark are requesting help for the cost of holding small parties for the confirmation of their children in the Church of Denmark. 

According to Dansk Folkehjælp, 850 people asked for help this year, an increase of 30 percent on 2023, while Børnesagen’s Fællesråd saw the number rise to 343 this year from 306 last year and Foreningen til Støtte af Mødre og Børn saw the number of requests rise to 436 from 423. 

Danes traditionally hold their confirmation ceremonies on Shrove Monday, which fell on Feb 12th this year, and typically hold a party for the young person who is formally admitted to the church. 

Maria Blankensteiner, from Foreningen til Støtte af Mødre og Børn, said that those seeking assistance were typically give a voucher for 2,500 kroner. 

“This means that you can buy some cheap confirmation clothes and hold a small party where you invite the closest family and perhaps the confirmand’s best friend,” she said. 

Danish vocabulary: stigende efterspørgsel – rising demand

Silkeborg hotdog stall wins “Denmark’s best frikadelle” 

Brian Flink Pedersen, the owner of Pølsemageriet in Silkeborg on Jutland has been working flat out since he was crowned last week as the producer of “Denmark’s best frikadelle”, with his version of Denmark’s much-loved meatball rated the best. 

“This week we have sold approximately 20 times as much as we usually do. It has been sold out every day,” Pedersen told TV2 of how last week’s award had affected business. 

In a normal week, he sells between 300-400 portions of frikadeller, last week he sold more than 5,000. 

His winning frikadelle was pan-fried with tart apple, bacon and a little thyme, and that was the variety in demand last week. 

Danish vocabulary: udsolgt – sold out 

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