Denmark Recommends Avoiding Large Gatherings to Stop Coronavirus

(Bloomberg) -- The Danish government wants to suspend or postpone large public gatherings planned for this month in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Friday.

There have been 21 confirmed cases of coronavirus and no fatalities in Denmark so far.

Frederiksen said the spread of the virus would have consequences on businesses and the global economy, but fell short of announcing concrete initiatives designed to support the local economy.

“Our strategy is to delay the spread as much as possible,” Frederiksen told reporters in Copenhagen on Friday. Her government, acting on the advice of experts, recommended that events attended by at least 1,000 people be avoided. The country's most successful soccer team, FC Copenhagen, has already announced that it's next match won't be attended by spectators.

Schools are to remain open, while citizens are being asked to wash their hands frequently, avoid hugging or kissing and keep a safe distance from each other when using public transport.

To contact the reporter on this story: Morten Buttler in Copenhagen at mbuttler@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Christian Wienberg at cwienberg@bloomberg.net, Nick Rigillo

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