Open-air classes for Denmark's students

Yahoo – AFP, April 29, 2020

Teacher Marie Kaas-Larsen speaks with her pupils of the Norrebro Park primary
school outside in a nearby park in Copenhagen, Denmark (AFP Photo/Thibault Savary)

Copenhagen (AFP) - With ancient gods and Danish on the lesson plan, Marie Kaas-Larsen taught her 10 fourth graders in a central Copenhagen park on Wednesday, braving the cold as part of new coronavirus protocols.

Denmark was the first country in Europe to reopen its schools for the youngest pupils on April 15.

In addition to practising social distancing and regular handwashing, classes must be held outdoors as much as possible to limit the spread of the virus.

"It's very different from how we usually work," the 32-year-old teacher told AFP.

"I'm not afraid that kids are not learning enough. I think that they learn a lot by having this kind of school," she said.

Seated in a circle around her, the children, aged 10 and 11, listened eagerly to the adventures of Neptune before doing some gym exercises to keep warm.

Pupils of the Norrebro Park primary school have lessons outside in a nearby 

park in Copenhagen, Denmark (AFP Photo/Thibault Savary)

At the Norrebro Park Skole in central Copenhagen, 450 primary school students -- six grades between the ages of six and 11 -- resumed classes two weeks ago after a five-week closure.

Middle school and high school students could return to their desks on May 11 but no official plan has been announced for them yet.

At Norrebro Park Skole, students' morning arrivals are staggered to ensure that hallways and stairways are not overcrowded.

And before entering their classrooms, students have to wash their hands.

"I think almost all of them go directly to wash their hands without us even telling them to do it," Kaas-Larsen said.

The students are happy about the way things are going.

A sign informs the public they not welcome in the park as pupils of the Norrebro 

Park primary school spead time outside for lessons in Copenhagen, Denmark (AFP 

Photo/Thibault Savary)

"I like how we wash our hands and everything, because it's to protect us," said one student named Siham.

Social distancing is the hardest part for the children, and even for teachers who have to be careful to not get too close to the students, the teacher said.

The class has been divided in two, and while the kids are happy to be back together, some wish there could be more mixing of the groups.

In one huddle of friends, there are murmurings of an upcoming pyjama party. "Are you sure we're allowed?" asked one child.

In Denmark, gatherings are restricted to a maximum of 10 people, but smaller groups are allowed to get together.

The country on Wednesday confirmed 9,206 cases of the virus and 443 deaths, as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it had the spread "under control".

French and German ambassadors urge Dutch to support the EU

DutchNews, April 16, 2020 

Photo: Depositphotos.com

The Algemeen Dagblad on Thursday published an open letter from the French and German ambassadors to the Netherlands, calling on the Dutch to help preserve the unity of the European Union. 

In the letter, French ambassador Luis Vassy and German ambassador Dirk Brengelmann slate attempts to make European governments’ reactions to the coronavirus crisis look ‘weak and disorganised’, which they say is an attack on democratic values. 

The letter, headed ‘Dear Nederlanders, dear friends’, warned of ‘eurosceptics’ in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe who are taking advantage of the ‘worst crisis since the World War II’ to point to the EU’s ‘shortcomings’. 

The letter does not identify who these eurosceptics are, but some political parties in the Netherlands, such as PVV and Forum voor Democratie have long campaigned for the Netherlands to quit the European Union. 

Instead of criticising the EU, the ambassadors ask their ‘dear Dutch friends’ to consider the importance of shared values, particularly the democratic values of transparency, responsibility and debate. 

Science 

The ambassadors point out that in Europe ‘whistleblowers are not silenced and scientists are listened to’. This reaction to the crisis, the letter went on to say, is ‘now being painted by propagandists as weak and disorganised in an attempt to create discord and weaken people’s faith in our democratic system’. 

The ambassadors also stressed the need for solidarity, citing the €37bn funding package which was finally hammered out between the member states last week. 

However, Dutch finance minister Wopke Hoekstra and prime minister Mark Rutte were both heavily criticised for showing a lack of solidarity to fellow EU countries who are struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. 

Post coronavirus 

The Netherlands will also have an important role to play in a post coronavirus Europe, the ambassadors said, pointing out that a number of things will have to change in case Europe is faced with a similar challenge in the future. 

The production of strategic goods, such as medical equipment, will have to take place in Europe while the Dutch will also have to contribute to issues related to climate, the digital economy and the management of big data. These, they said, are ‘fields in which none of the  European countries have the means to become the dominate player’. 

According to the AD the message is part of a trend for ambassadors to make their opinions known to the public. DutchNews.nl has asked the French embassy for a comment.

Coronavirus: EU calls for coordinated exit plan

DW, 15 April 2020 

The Commission wants member states to collaborate on easing coronavirus restrictions. But with disparate national responses to COVID-19, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Bernd Riegert reports from Brussels.

Ursula von der Leyen (Reuters/J.Geron)

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is unveiling on Wednesday her road map for lifting coronavirus restrictions across the bloc. In a 14-page document laying out her ideas, von der Leyen says that "although it is clear that the path back to normalcy will take a long time, it is also obvious that we cannot maintain these extraordinary restrictions indefinitely."

She says lockdowns across the continent had proven effective, yet also precipitated a tremendous economic shock and placed a heavy burden on public life. EU officials estimate that the eurozone economy could shrink by 10 percent this year — a drop in economic productivity not seen since the global economic crisis of the 1920s.

Austria has begun lifting restrictions, but people must contineu to wear masks
in public

Avoiding tensions between member states

Ursula von der Leyen urges all 27 EU member states to coordinate their lifting of restrictions and to continue coordinating their approach to tackling the pandemic going forward. She warns that "insufficient coordination in the lifting of restrictions poses the risk of creating negative effects for all member states and most likely increases tensions between them." She admits there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but that member states should strive to inform each other of steps taken.

At the onset of the coronavirus outbreak, various EU members states had closed their borders, or imposed travel restrictions, without giving each other advance warning. Ursula von der Leyen now hopes that the re-opening of borders over the coming weeks and months will happen in a more systematic fashion.

Sweden has thus far avoided implementing restrictive measures, even as deaths from
coronavirus have risen, meaning these Stockholm bargoers can enjoy beers out — for now

Infections could surge again

The EU Commission says three conditions must be met for coronavirus restrictions to be eased. Brussels says that curfews could be lifted once national health care systems are no longer under such extreme strain, once infections rates have dropped off, and once particularly vulnerable groups are able to be provided with extra protection. Brussels does not, however, propose a specific time plan for this.

The paper recognizes that this is fraught with danger: "It is certain that such a gradual lifting of restrictions will lead to new infections." This is why, it states, developments must be closely monitored and new, possibly even more draconian measures will have to be imposed. Von der Leyen writes that "we will have to live with the virus until a vaccine has been developed."

Member states are autonomous actors

Some EU states, like Austria and Denmark, have already announced plans to lift some restrictions on daily life. Countries like France and Spain, meanwhile, are keeping strict measures in place.

France will remain in a lockdown until May 11

And while some states have isolated themselves, others are still permitting international flights to operate. Roughly half of all member states have declared a state of emergency, whereas Sweden, in contrast, has kept restrictions to a bare minimum. In Germany, meanwhile, there is no universal approach among its 16 federal states to fighting the virus outbreak. In the state of Bavaria, for instance, all DIY stores have been closed to help contain the virus, while in neighboring Baden-Württemberg they're free to stay open.

Revised with caution

The bloc's heads of the states and governments had prompted Ursula von der Leyen to draw up an exit strategy for the bloc. She had been ready to unveil her road map last week, yet was called back by concerned governments demanding she revise the paper.

The amended paper now has a more cautious wording, and makes suggestions, instead of demands. It appeals to all states to gradually reactivate the common market and ease travel restrictions. EU members states, meanwhile, are still to reign supreme with regard to managing public health and disease control.

EU plans economic stimulus package

At the end of the document, Ursula von der Leyen pledges to draw up a plan to kick start the bloc's economy, which was been hit hard by the coronavirus. She says demand and production must be stimulated, and taxes possibly lowered. The paper states that "the Commission will develop a recovery strategy that builds on a new medium-term budget plan, and a reworked 2020 action plan."

Next week, the EU's heads of state and government will discuss the possibility of creating a European "Marshall Plan" to stimulate the bloc's economy recovery. Commission President von der Leyen plans to pump hundreds of billions of euros into into the recovery effort.

Millions watch Andrea Bocelli sing in empty Milan cathedral

Yahoo – AFP, April 13, 2020

The video of Andrea Bocelli performing a solo Easter concert from an empty
cathedral in Milan has been viewed millions of times (AFP Photo/Piero Cruciatti)

Milan (AFP) - Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed a solo Easter concert from an empty Milan Cathedral streamed live to millions of people around the world in coronavirus lockdown.

The "Music for Hope" performance, which was streamed on YouTube from Milan's Duomo cathedral, has been watched more than 22 million times so far.

Accompanied by an organist, Bocelli sang four songs inside the magnificent Gothic building and ended with a rendition of "Amazing Grace" from the cathedral steps with a montage of images showing the empty streets of Paris, London and New York.

"On the day in which we celebrate the trust in a life that triumphs, I'm honoured and happy to answer 'Si' to the invitation of the City and the Duomo of Milan," the visually impaired star said in a message played before the short concert.

"Thanks to music, streamed live, bringing together millions of clasped hands everywhere in the world, we will hug this wounded Earth's pulsing heart," he said.

The Lombardy region, of which Milan is the capital, has been the hardest hit in Italy's coronavirus crisis, with more than 9,000 deaths.

"Andrea Bocelli is a true gift from God. This was beautiful and just what I needed to see and feel right now. Thank you Mr. Bocelli for sharing your gift of your voice and music with us," wrote YouTube viewer Peggy Young.

Churches in Italy remain closed and even prayers given by Pope Francis on Easter Sunday were livestreamed.