One of the advantages of personally delivering our newspaper is that we get to visit most of the city’s Anglophone pubs.
Not because we’re alcoholics (to be fair: tipping the delivery man at Christmas and other special occasions is a practice sorely lacking in these parts), but because we’re often privy to news concerning the international community.
And this time, the pubs pretty much are the news, as we can confirm today that most of them will remain shut for the foreseeable.
Many had been expected to reopen this Sunday, but it is now believed likely they will stay closed until the end of the month.
So who’s showing the football?
Thanks to the government stepping up to cover the costs of their staff wages – a compensation scheme now extended to January 31 – many have decided it makes better sense to remain closed with their staff furloughed.
On the doors of many of the pubs CPH POST visited this week, owners said they were keen to help stop the spread of the Omicron variant. But some do not have a choice: any with disco areas are prohibited from opening along with the rest of the nightlife scene.
The closures were particularly noticeable in busy areas, such as the final stretch of Vesterbrogade just across the road from City Hall and Rådhuspladsen, where just one establishment, The Old English Pub, was open.
Also open are The Globe (next pub quiz is on January 27) on Nørregade, which is around 150 metres from Nørreport, Kennedys on Gammel Kongevej, which faces the Vesterbro end of the City Lakes, Charlie’s Bar on Pilestræde in the city centre, and Gravens Rand (pub quiz next Tuesday), which is just around the corner from Copenhagen Zoo.
In other corona news:
– No public schools have been closed since the reopening on January 5. This is because the Agency for Patient Safety has changed its strategy and will only advise closures in exceptional circumstances.
– Corona test requirements upon entering Denmark will stay in place until January 31. Returning residents with a recent negative result must take a test within 24 hours of arriving or risk a 3,500 kroner fine; visitors must have a negative PCR result (within 72 hours of flying) or quick result (48). Anyone with a positive test within the last six months is exempt.
– From Sunday, indoor cultural events can welcome 1,500 guests provided they are safely split into three sections of 500 seated individuals. The Epidemic Commission had recommended an overall limit of 350, but MPs were keen to raise the limit significantly.
– The last two days have seen 25,751 (yesterday) and 23,614 (today) infections reported. A further 35 people have died and the hospitalisation rate has remained steady in the 750s.
