Stricter COVID-19 restrictions will apply in institutions of higher education

The more contagious English variant of coronavirus is spreading in Denmark. In order to maintain control of the epidemic, a number of stricter measures and restrictions are therefore being introduced throughout Danish society.

These stricter restrictions include extending the social distance recommendation in higher education from 1 to 2 metres. These stricter measures will apply, provisionally, from 12 noon on Wednesday 6 January 2021 until and including Sunday, 17 January 2021.

Higher education programmes will exclude physical attendance until 17 January. There may be a few exceptions in very special cases where attendance is necessary, including, for example, laboratory, clinical and workshop teaching. In these cases, higher education remains exempted from the ban regulating gatherings and assemblies.

In higher education, the extension of the social distance recommendation from 1 to 2 metres means that today, those activities that allow physical attendance as an exception – laboratory teaching, and so on – will in principle require people to maintain a social distance of 2 metres.

The stricter measures and restrictions for the whole of society include:

  • A lowering of the assembly ban from 10 people to 5. This does not apply to people from the same household, as long as they are fewer than 10.
  • The assembly ban will still not apply in the usual work contexts, such as teaching, exams, or the like, which require physical attendance. A further reduction of  exemptions from the assembly ban is being considered.
  • The recommendation on how many people may gather in private homes has been adjusted, so that in future it is recommended that gatherings of more than 5  people in private homes should be avoided. This recommendation does not include  people in households of more than 5 persons.
  • The recommendation concerning the number of social contacts has been lowered to a maximum of 5.
  • As a general rule, the social distancing recommendation has been increased from 1 to at least 2 metres.  A task force, which includes the health authorities, is following very closely the spread of the English virus variant. It may be necessary to extend the above stricter measures for a longer period, beyond 17 January 2021.  

For further information:

Questions from institutions of higher education regarding COVID-19 may be addressed to: info-covid-19@ufm.dk 

Press enquiries to the press line of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science: +45 7231 8181

Students should approach their educational institution for further information, and if they have any questions.