Norway to close all schools, streets half empty in Copenhagen as coronavirus spreads

Record ID: 1463531

  • Title: Norway to close all schools, streets half empty in Copenhagen as coronavirus spreads
  • Date: 12th March 2020
  • Summary: COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (MARCH 12, 2020) (REUTERS) WIDE OF CITY HALL PERSON BEING TURNED AWAY FROM CITY HALL VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN CITY HALL SQUARE STROEGET SHOPPING STREET, BANNERS FLAPPING IN WIND PRIDE FLAG AND LAMP SWAYING IN WIND TRAFFIC LIGHTS SWAYING IN WIND SUPERMARKET ENTRANCE PEOPLE ENTERING SUPERMARKET WIDE OF SUPERMARKET VARIOUS OF EMPTY SHELVES IN FRUIT SECTION SHOPPER LOOKING AT VEGETABLE SECTION WIDE OF SUPERMARKET CRATE OF TOILET ROLLS IN AISLE EMPTY SHELVES IN TOILET ROLL SECTION EMPLOYEE STACKING DETERGENT VARIOUS OF SHOPPERS EMPTY PASTA SHELVES CUSTOMERS AT TILL CASHIER SCANNING GOODS EXTERIOR OF COPENHAGEN CENTRAL TRAIN STATION VARIOUS INTERIORS OF TRAIN STATION VARIOUS OF FEW PEOPLE ON PLATFORM TRAIN AT PLATFORM
  • Embargoed: 26th March 2020 17:09
  • Keywords: COVID-19 Coronavirus Denmark Erna Solberg PM announcement closures kindergartens and school closures measures supermarket
  • Location: OSLO, NORWAY AND COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
  • City: OSLO, NORWAY AND COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
  • Country: Norway
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA002C4R03EV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Norway will close all kindergartens and schools to curb the spread of the coronavirus, following a similar step by neighbouring Denmark, Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced on Thursday (March 12).
    The country will close a wide range of public and private institutions, including schools and restaurants, and halt all sporting events, in a bid to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
    Health workers involved in the treatment of patients will be forbidden from leaving the country at least until the end of April, and any person returning from abroad will be quarantined for two weeks, it said.
    Since Norway's first case of the virus was confirmed on Feb. 26, the total number of infected people had risen to 621 as of Wednesday (March 11), including one at an offshore oilfield.
    In Copenhagen, streets were half empty as storm Laura and the coronavirus hit the Danish capital.
    On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced Denmark would close all schools and universities, and start sending home all employees in the public sector with non-critical jobs.
    Denmark had 514 people diagnosed with the coronavirus as of Wednesday, rising 10-fold since Monday (March 9) in what Health Minister Magnus Heunicke described as the "most dramatic increase seen in Europe".
    The announcement triggered panic at some supermarkets and in others certain goods were sold out. Many people heeded the call and stayed at home with streets and train stations quieter than usual.
    (Production: Ilze Filks)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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