Local Round-Up: Outbreak of new British corona variant in Copenhagen

An outbreak of a new variant of the British corona mutation, which is more resilient to antibodies, has been found among employees at a company in Copenhagen.

It is not mentioned which company and how many employees have been infected, but the Danish Patient Safety Authority states that the outbreak is under control.

They launched an intensified infection detection, and more than 200 close contacts and their close contacts have been called in for isolation and testing. 

British corona variant mutation
In the outbreak, the British corona variant has been found, along with a new mutation.

Even though mutations make the virus more resistant to antibodies, it is an expected process of a virus to mutate, according to Nathan Grubaugh, a virologist at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut.

“All viruses continuously evolve and there shouldn’t be anything alarming about the process in general,” he explained to popsci.com.


The green transition needs more hands
From this week, you can expect to see posters of a young electrician apprentice called Joachim around the city. It’s part of a new campaign to get more skilled young people into the green transition. The lack of hands is a huge problem for the green transition of many companies – especially in Copenhagen where the number of young people who apply for a vocational education is much lower than the national average. 

Annual report of Copenhagen municipality’s sustainable procurement
Toys at daycare institutions must be eco-labeled, the machines on the construction sites must emit less CO2, and the window cleaner of the municipal buildings must drive more often in a green vehicle. These are among the requirements set out by Copenhagen Municipality to ensure the sustainability of the purchased products and services.  ‘’We must have sustainability in mind when we shop,’’ explained Copenhagen Mayor Lars Weiss. Read the annual report of the municipality’s sustainable procurement here.

Expensive  price tag for more apartments
Even though corona has made city life less exciting, interest in living in the capital is still growing and this is reflected in apartment prices. The number of owner-occupied flats being put up for sale with a price tag of more than 20 million kroner in Copenhagen is rising sharply. Over the first four months of the year, three times as many apartments have been offered for more than 20 million kroner, compared to the first four months of 2020.

New green food concept is coming to Sydhavnen
The green food concept FællesGro is coming to Sydhavn. From June, it will start holding a weekly harvest day, where members of the food concept can come and pick up their locally-grown vegetables.