57.1 Overall Score (down 17 since Aug 1st.)

Denmark

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25.1 Public Health
Directives
63 Financial
Response
100 Fact-Based
Communication

25.1 Public Health
Directives
63 Financial
Response
100 Fact-Based
Communication

Denmark's score is very strong, due to a robust healthcare system and to generous fiscal responses that safeguarded employment. Public health directives have improved substantially in recent months.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Denmark’s universal healthcare system, coupled with a high GDP per capita and low debt-to-GDP ratio have contributed to its effective pandemic-response policies, though it is hurt by its low number of hospital beds.

Debt/GDP ratio 34.3%
GDP/capita $55,675
Gini coefficient (out of 100) 28.7
Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 4
Healthcare access score (out of 100) 85.7
Hospital beds/1,000 People 17.5

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Jan 1.)

25.1

Public Health Directives

Despite Denmark’s very high testing levels, relatively low emergency healthcare spending and a relaxed lockdown pull down its score.

Stay at home order 1
Public gathering restrictions 4
School closings 2
Public event cancellations 2
Testing policy 3
Emergency healthcare investments/capita $16.53
Travel restrictions 3
Tests/1,000 people 1815.3
Contact tracing 2

Financial Response

Denmark’s financial response has been relatively strong, driven by its generous income support.

Financial stimulus as share of GDP 16%
Income support 2
Debt forebearance 2

100

Fact-Based Communication

Denmark’s prime minister conducts weekly briefings that emphasise clear, fact-based messages.

Reliance on science/fact based information 0
Press freedom 0

COVID-19 Status as of Jan 1

Denmark scores near the median in this category, with a fairly low death rate and a very low positivity rate, although its case rate is relatively worse than before.

Total deaths 1,322
Death rate per 100K 228.2
Total cases 166,567
Cases per 100K 28,757
Percent of positive tests 3.2
Change in positivity rates +2

Daily cases Level 1 Lockdown

	Date	Status	New Cases/1M
1	Apr 15	Primary schools reopen	31.55
2	Apr 20	Non-essential health care services and some businesses, such as hair salons, reopen	29.55
3	May 11	Retail stores reopen	20.79
4	May 18	Restaurants and secondary schools reopen	11.22
5	May 21	Museums and zoos reopen	11.57
6	May 27	Cultural activities reopen	9.00
7	Jun 08	Numbers allowed at public gatherings raised from 10 to 50	6.49
8	Jul 01	Numbers allowed at public gatherings raised from 50 to 100	4.42
9	Aug 22	Facemasks mandatory on public transportation	18.99
10	Sep 19	Public gatherings limited to 50 people, and bars and restaurants must close at 10pm, until October 4th	71.33
11	Dec 07	Implemented targeted lockdowns in 38 of 98 municipalities	300.28
12	Dec 15	Lockdown extended to all municipalities	525.44

Differentiating Factors

COVID-19 surge prompts nationwide shutdown: Denmark began its nationwide shutdown on December 16th, closing all shops besides pharmacies and grocery stores. Denmark was already under partial lockdown, which has now been expanded to include more businesses and all regions of the country. Read More
Culled minks infected with COVID-19 rise from mass graves: After a mutated strain of COVID-19 was detected in Denmark's mink population, the nation planned to cull all 15 million minks in the country. However, the animals were buried in graves that were too shallow, and rose through the soil as the bodies decayed, prompting renewed concerns around contracting the virus. Read More
Denmark developing digital "vaccine passport" for international travelers: Denmark is developing a digital pass for people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine in anticipation that other countries will require vaccine documentation upon entry. Read More
Lockdown measures reimposed: Restrictions on gatherings were reinstated following the rise of daily infections after measures were relaxed in March and May. Read More
Early success opening schools: Managing the outbreak through a nationwide lockdown helped to enable the opening of schools, with the youngest pupils returning first in limited cohorts; mandatory masks and handwashing set an example for other nations. Read More
High wage-reimbursement levels: Denmark has kept its rate of unemployment low by reimbursing companies for up to 90 percent of furloughed workers' wages. Read More
Early action enabling slow re-opening: The government has taken a two-part approach to the pandemic, initially focused on suppression via lockdown, and then mitigation, including contact tracing. In April, it became the first European country to re-open schools. Read More

Compared with Neighboring Countries

53.9
Norway 49,803
Cases 9,187
Per 1M 436
Deaths

Norway scores just below the median, pulled down by its weak public health and financial response scores, despite a strong reliance on facts and a free press.
30.8
Sweden 437,379
Cases 43,308
Per 1M 8,727
Deaths

Despite being known for a relatively strong public healthcare system, Sweden has been hit hard with cases; the country’s lack of stay-at-home orders and school closures, limited testing, and few gathering restrictions overshadowed its financial support, reliance on facts, and accountability with an open press.
52.6
Germany 1,762,637
Cases 21,038
Per 1M 34,145
Deaths

Germany has improved its score a bit in the past few months, after a sharp decline in the fall. Its improvements in contact tracing, which are already likely underestimated in the data, and restrictions on public gatherings, have played important roles in this turnaround, although there has been a recent spike in cases, likely due to both recent restriction relaxations and vaccine rollout issues.

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Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

Debt to GDP ratio
Infant mortality rates
Hospital beds per 1,000 people
Gini coefficients measuring inequality
Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

Stay-at home orders
School-closing policy
Public-gathering restrictions
Cancellation of public events
Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
Emergency healthcare spending per capita
Travel restrictions
Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

Stimulus package as a share of GDP
Income support
Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

Instances of misinformation by leadership
Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

Death rates per 1 million
Case rates per 1 million