Denmark will close its borders for one month due to coronavirus

Denmark announced on Friday it would shut its borders to most foreign visitors for a month from Saturday. File picture: Peter Kneffel/DPA via AP

Denmark announced on Friday it would shut its borders to most foreign visitors for a month from Saturday. File picture: Peter Kneffel/DPA via AP

Published Mar 13, 2020

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COPENHAGEN - Denmark announced on Friday

it would shut its borders to most foreign visitors for a month

from Saturday, in a move unprecedented in peacetime as part of

efforts to halt the spread of coronavirus.

The restrictions will come into force on

Saturday and continue until at least April 13, Prime Minister

Mette Frederiksen told a news conference.

"All tourists, all travel, all vacations, and all foreigners

who cannot demonstrate a credible reason to enter Denmark will

be denied entrance at the Danish border," Frederiksen said.

Danish citizens and foreigners working in Denmark will still

be free to enter and leave the country. The transport of goods,

including foods, medicine and industry supplies, will also not

be affected, she said.

The country of 5.7 million people has reported 801 confirmed

cases of coronavirus so far and no deaths.

Large swathes of Denmark have been in lockdown since

Thursday after the government shut all schools and universities

and sent home all public sector workers with non-critical jobs

in an effort to curb the spread of the disease.

The government has notified neighbouring countries Germany,

Norway and Sweden as well as the European Commission,

Frederiksen said, adding that authorities would need a few days

to fully establish the border controls.

Reuters

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