Denmark to lift all restrictions on 1 February
Denmark has announced plans to lift all remaining coronavirus limits on 1 February.
The country will no longer categorise Covid-19 as a “socially critical” illness, despite a recent surge in infections, wrote health minister Magnus Heunicke in a letter to the Danish parliament’s epidemiology committee.
The move, which will allow concerts and other events to go ahead without capacity restrictions, has been hailed as “unbelievably positive” by trade association Dansk Live.
“It’s unbelievably positive,” head of secretariat Esben Marcher tells Ekstra Bladet. “This means that the venues can once again do standing concerts. So now it is approaching that you can do things as you usually do. And we are of course happy about that.”
“There will be a focus on how we can revive volunteering after almost three years with corona”
However, Marcher stresses the sector will require financial assistance to help its get back on its feet and help fund courses for volunteers, with many venues and festivals dependent on volunteering to survive. The issue was raised during the
Speaking ahead of last weekend’s members forum, Kamilla Roed, head of volunteers and operations at Copenhell heavy metal festival, said: “There will of course be a focus on how we can revive volunteering after almost three years with corona. Whether it is a venue or a festival, there have been shutdowns and major changes. We need to share good experiences and ideas with each other so we all get back to our full potential.”
The news comes a day after several European markets eased restrictions. The Dutch government announced the conditional reopening of the cultural sector and the Norwegian government also rolled back restrictions and increased capacity limits for events, while Northern Ireland also announced a relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions
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Free entry at festivals for volunteers
Caudwell Children, the national charity providing practical and emotional support to disabled children and their families, is offering fans the chance to volunteer at UK music festivals this summer.
Volunteers will gain free entry to any of 34 festivals across the UK including Glastonbury, Reading, Download, Bestival and All Points East, as well as a range of VIP perks during the events.
Volunteers work during daylight hours either stewarding, facilitating environmental and recycling programmes, or taking tickets for a maximum of three, eight hour shifts across a six-day period at weekend festivals (Wednesday to Monday). The hours worked at other festivals may vary.
“We’ve partnered with the not-for-profit organisation My Cause UK, to raise funds for Caudwell Children, by encouraging existing and new charity supporters to volunteer their time at the UK’s top festivals,” says Megan Hayman-Tansley, fundraising volunteer manager at Caudwell Children.
“This is a brilliant way for people to make new friends, get experience in the music and events industry and see some amazing bands for free”
“This is a brilliant way for people to make new friends, get experience in the music and events industry and see some amazing bands for free. The charity simply gets a donation, from My Cause UK, in exchange for your time.”
Volunteers will receive training before the event and must pay a refundable deposit, allowing them to register for as many festivals as they wish. The deposit is returned upon completion of a volunteer’s final shift.
The participating festivals run between 25 May and 22 September. The early bird waiting list for volunteers is now open for registration. Caudwell Children urges those interested to register now to avoid disappointment as places are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
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