Denmark has started reopening its schools after a month-long lockdown, becoming the first European country to ease restrictions.
The students were seen lined up six feet apart in their respective schools, kindergartens, and nurseries so as to maintain social distancing rules.
The schools in the country had been shut down since March 12 to stop the spread of coronavirus.
However, following the decision of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, a few restrictions are now being lifted.
Nearly half of the local government and 35 per cent of the Copenhagen’s schools have reopened while remaining are expected to follow the suit by April 20.
Earlier this month, the government had announced that schools will be allowed to reopen only if they ensure “that everyone keeps their distance and washes their hands.”
The schools must strictly maintain social distancing rules by keeping desks in the classrooms six-feet apart and by allotting break to a few students at a time.
Frederiksen, the country’s youngest premier, said in a press conference: “We are presenting a first, careful phase in the reopening of Denmark.
“It assumes that we are responsible and that the number of [of sick] are stable, not just for this week but for a long time to come.”
Most of the parents are concerned about the decision as they wanted to keep their kids home until the risk is over.
A petition named “My child is not a guinea pig” has captured almost 18,000 signatures.
Denmark’s middle and high school children will continue to study through the online learning system until May 10.
“We’re all a bit nervous and we’ll have to ensure that we stick to hygiene rules,” Elisa Rimpler of the BUPL, the Danish Union of Early Childhood and Youth Educators, told the BBC
“We have a lot of washing hands during the day. We don’t have masks and we have to keep a good distance from each other so that’s a very difficult task.”
Speaking about the country’s return to normalcy, Frederiksen said: “I do not believe we will return to the Denmark we knew before coronavirus.
“It is also important that we do not keep Denmark closed for longer than we need to.”
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