The heart is the vaccine and the “trust” that people and governments have in each other.
“May everyone enjoy life. Take good care of each other,” Danish Health Minister Manus Heinike posted on his Facebook page. and announced that the coronavirus was not classified as a group No longer ‘diseases threatening society’ in Denmark.
As of Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, people in Denmark are currently the only population in Europe. who have returned to live independently again in almost two years since the outbreak of the coronavirus. When the Danish government announced it would lift all measures to prevent COVID-19 after the total number of people who had completed two injections was 73% of the population, 96% of people 65 and older had completed the vaccine.
As of now, Denmark’s daily number of confirmed cases is around 500 per day, with the spread rate. (Reproduction rate) is at 0.7 means that one infected person can infect 0.7 people and is likely to continue to decline (Thailand as of September 10, 64 at 1.0, tends to at)
What is this independent life in Denmark?
- Do not maintain social distance
- Masks are not required in public areas except airports.
- You do not have to show your vaccination passport when visiting museums or nightclubs. (The concert that is considered very large since the outbreak of COVID-19 It was just held last Saturday in Copenhagen. 50,000 tickets were sold out.)
- The government advises people to wear masks at the infection checkpoints and inside the hospital.
How did Denmark get to this point?
Mikel Bang Peterson is a professor at Aarhus University in Aarhus, Denmark who studies behavior during COVID-19. And an adviser to the Danish government explains on his Twitter how Denmark has reached the point where all measures are lifted.
Mikel said, of course, the basis of opening up a country is vaccination. But the key to action on COVID-19 All in Denmark that is considered successful today is the ‘trust’ that people and governments have with each other. The total number of people vaccinated at 73% is entirely voluntary. While many Western countries Some groups of people are reluctant to vaccinate despite the government providing enough vaccines. Mikel’s research found that Danish citizens have higher vaccination acceptance rates than other countries such as Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, etc.
Graph showing the development of people’s willingness to vaccinate in each country. It came from answering the question of agreeing with the statement in the questionnaire stating that “If health officials recommend that someone like me be vaccinated to prevent COVID-19 I will follow the advice of the authorities.” The graph shows that people’s willingness to vaccinate is higher in Denmark than in other Western countries (source, click here).
Denmark has long been a country where people have high trust in the government. The author himself had the opportunity to study in Denmark. I once talked to a Danish and asked him, Why do people in your country trust the government? His answer matches that of Professor Mikel’s research. The main reason for people’s trust and confidence in the work and decisions of the government is the transparency of the Danish government. in disclosing information and communicating with the public honestly Even if the information is unsatisfactory
Government transparency builds people’s trust. As a result, most of the Danish people cooperate and support measures. in dealing with COVID-19 of the government over the past period including voluntary vaccination and agreeing to stay at home as recommended by the government when you find yourself at risk of infection.
Mikel also explained that In addition to his trust in the government, he found that what made Denmark what it is today. There are also three sub-factors.
- Make stopping germs a common project.
The Danish government has made social distancing a responsibility that people in society should have to each other. And many people support this practice, says Mikel, what is a matter of ethics? may cause negative effects That is, people might attack and scold each other. But this happens very rarely in Denmark. Most people in Denmark don’t act like police at all. and often cooperate with government measures
- Avoid dichotomy.
People’s cooperation will gradually decrease over time Decrease more quickly or less depending on the dichotomy in society. If there are many divisions Support for government measures will diminish faster. Mikel said the opposition in the House of Commons was the number one priority for controlling the outbreak. and does not use government measures as a political tool for the benefit of the next election
- Reduce the impact of government control measures
This factor has to do with the trust people have in the government. And the government itself believes in the people as well. As a result, the measures that came out were not so strict that people felt uncomfortable and affected by the government’s measures. This arrangement has also resulted in less resistance to government measures.
The trust and confidence that people and governments have for each other in Denmark. make people see measures set by the state It’s not a control tool. Rather, it is a tool to “protect” each other so that the country can return to normalcy as quickly as possible.
But the covid is not over. What is Denmark planning next?
While the World Health Organization has warned that The vaccine alone is not enough to stop the spread of the coronavirus right now. We will have to wait and see if the abolition of Covid-19 prevention measures. How successful will all of Denmark be amid the delta outbreak?
Most of the Danish citizens interviewed by foreign news agencies were delighted and agreed with the government’s decision. But some people still feel strange about this new normal life, 24-year-old Denmark-based Karynne Hebergh told local Danish media: On the one hand, she was excited about the government’s lifting of measures. because she misses her life before the epidemic
“But on the other hand I still don’t feel very safe. People are constantly coughing and sneezing in public transport.”
Mikel Bang Peterson, a professor at Aarhus University who is a government adviser, said nothing was certain and no one could say how the measures would be lifted. But if a new outbreak emerges He believes that the trust the people and the government have in each other will surely help Denmark get through another dire situation.
“Even though we are in a much better condition. But that doesn’t mean this epidemic is over. This virus has mutated many times. Therefore, the government will not hesitate to adopt the measure again. If the situation gets worse again,” the Danish Health Minister said.
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