Suspected COVID-19
Updated january 25th
As an employee, you should be particularly aware of any symptoms that may provoke a suspicion of COVID-19, and we encourage you to voluntarily get tested at the slightest symptom. You are encouraged to get tested if you have been in contact with someone who is infected or if you live in an area with many newly infected inhabitants (20 or more people per 100,000 inhabitants). For further information:
Testing of health care staff
See also the Danish Health Authority guidelines
Guidelines for managing COVID-19 in the health service. 05.02.21
Staff and the employer's responsibility to prevent infecting with COVID-19 - 06.04.20
For you, who are close contact to a person who has tested positive for coronavirus - 29.03.2021
Tracing infection of people you have been contact with - 03.02.21
The guidelines state that if you test positive for coronavirus, you can return to work once you have been free of symptoms for at least 48 hours.
If you are tested positive for COVID-19 or you have symptoms of COVID-19, notify your manager, so that sickness benefit refunds can be applied for from the first day of sickness.
If you are thinking of travelling abroad
Updated march 26nd
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel guidelines are constantly changing depending on the development of the COVID-19 infection rate and various entry restrictions. Therefore, it is important that you keep yourself updated on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website before traveling abroad. See the website of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.
Up to and including 20 april 2021 (so far), you are advised against all travel, including business travel, worldwide.
New rules from 7 February 2021 and so far up to and including 20 april 2021
In the period from 7 February and so far up to and including 20 april 2021, persons travelling to Denmark after having been abroad will be covered by requirements to get tested for COVID-19 upon entry, and to self-isolate for 10 days (with the possibility to shorten the isolation period after obtaining a negative PCR test taken no earlier than the fourth day after entry into Denmark.
If you arrive from abroad by plane, you usually have to take a rapid test (antigen test) for COVID-19 before you leave the airport. If you enter Denmark via a sea or land border, you generally have to obtain a rapid test or PCR test for COVID-19 by no later than 24 hours after entry into Denmark.
When you enter Denmark from abroad, you must, without undue delay, self-isolate at an isolation site for 10 days. The general rule is that you must not leave the isolation site before the end of this period. This also applies even if you have tested negative for COVID-19 prior to and in connection with your entry.
You may break the isolation prematurely after obtaining a negative PCR test taken no earlier than the fourth day after entry into Denmark.
You must follow the authorities’ recommendations on behaviour to prevent the spread of infection. This includes using face masks in public transport and following recommendations on physical distancing and hygiene.
The Capital Region of Denmark expects employees to return to work after their holiday as planned in agreement with their manager. The Region recommends that you comply with the travel guidelines from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If, contrary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel guidelines, you travel privately to other countries, and subsequently have to stay at home for 10 days or until a negative test result is available, you will not be entitled to pay for this period. Having to stay at home can have serious consequences for work and for planning work schedules for your colleagues, who will have to cover for staff who have not followed the travel guidelines from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A specific assessment may entail a breach of employment contract and there may be employment-law consequences.
If, contrary to the guidelines from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you travel abroad privately, and during the trip you fall ill or are infected with COVID-19, the infection will be treated as self-inflicted and you will not be entitled to pay during your absence while you are ill or in isolation.
See this overview over the travel restrictions.
If you live abroad
If you live in a border region (Slesvig-Holsten, Skåne, Halland og Blekinge og Västsverige (Hallands og Västra Götalands län), there are special exceptions to the new requirements for testing and isolation after entry into Denmark. Foreign residents in border regions must still present documentation of a negative test for COVID-19. From february 17th the negative test must be no more than 72 hours old. You must also be able to document your address and show your passport. Moreover, you must be able to document a worthy purpose for your entry. You can do this by presenting your letter of employment supplemented with your most recent payslip. These requirements do not apply to Danish citizens, unless you are entering Denmark by plane.
Exemptions from requirements for testing after entry
All persons travelling into Denmark must have taken a rapid test (antigen test) or PCR test for COVID-19 no later than 24 hours after time of entry.
Residents in the border region are exempt from that requirement if they can present a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours old.
The requirement for testing does not apply to persons who leave Denmark less than 24 hours after time of entry.
Exemption from requirement for 10 days' isolation upon entry
The isolation may be temporarily broken if you are entering Denmark to perform work as an employee. Thus you can enter Denmark and start work without delay.
After work, you must either resume the isolation immediately or leave Denmark without undue delay.
Exemption from the requirement for a negative Covid-19 test for previously infected people, applicable from 06:00 on 11 January 2021
People who have tested positive for Covid-19 can test positive for Covid-19 for up to eight weeks after they are no longer believed to be contagious. The positive test result is due to inactive virus RNA.
This can present travellers who have previously tested positive for Covid-19 with challenges in terms of being able to meet the requirement for documentation of a negative Covid-19 test.
Following a recommendation from the health authorities, people who have tested positive for Covid-19 within eight weeks, are exempted from the requirement for a negative Covid-19 test in connection with entry into Denmark, provided they can show documentation for a positive test result carried out within 12 weeks. However, at least 14 days must have passed from when a person has tested positive before this person can be exempted from the requirement for a negative test. This is based on a precautionary principle to ensure, as far as possible, that the person is no longer contagious.
Requirement to present a negative Covid-19 test
When conducting border control, the police will check the traveller's test certificate (proof of a negative Covid-19 test).
The police only accept test certificates in the Scandinavian languages, German, English, French, Spanish or Italian.
The name of the person tested, the time of taking the test and the issuer of the certificate must be clearly stated.
The test must not be inconclusive (inconclusive means that the result of the test is unclear, or that the analysis failed).
At this point, there are no requirements for a specific type of Covid-19 test. The test must show whether the person is infected with Covid-19. This means that both the PCR test and the antigen test will be accepted when you enter Denmark, whereas an antibody test does not meet the requirement.
If there is any doubt about the validity of a test certificate, the police will not allow the person to enter Denmark.
See this overview over the travel restrictions.
Staff at higher risk
Updated march 3rd
The Danish Health Authority has listed who is at increased risk of a severe course of COVID-19, including older people and residents in nursing homes, but also people who are overweight and have certain diseases such as severe heart failure and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The list also includes a number of diseases or conditions weakening the immune system. Based on a precautionary principle, pregnant women are also considered to be at higher risk.
Read about the specific risk groups:
Good advice for you who are at higher risk -16.02.21
People at higher risk of Covid-19 - scientific basis - 10.02.21
Guidelines for managing COVID-19 in the health service - 05.02.21*
*This revision includes adjustment of a single element, i.e. the limit for interpreting a positive test result in persons who have previously been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 is increased from eight weeks to 12 weeks. This is changed due to knowledge about long-term immunity following infection in most people (see point 6.4).
Recommendations from the Danish Health Authority for people at higher risk
Employees at higher risk should not carry out tasks or functions at work involving care, treatment or close contact with a person or patient where there is a suspicion of COVID-19 based on typical and characteristic symptoms, or where COVID-19 has been confirmed. In such cases, the employee at higher risk should be reassigned to another task or function. Any limitations on possibilities to reassign the employee should be resolved locally, and must not obstruct the employee from being reassigned.
According to the Danish Health Authority, a few other people will also be at higher risk who, on the basis of a specific individual assessment by their doctor, should not go to work at all. For more information, see Good advice for you who are at higher risk.
Staff who live with a person at higher risk
Staff who live with a person at higher risk, e.g. a partner or child, will be treated in the same way as staff who are at higher risk themselves, see above.
Clarification from the Capital Region of Denmark:
This is a regional clarification of "Managing of COVID-19: Recommendations for people at higher risk" dated 12 May 2020 and it is based on the definition in the guidelines concerning "persons at higher risk". The clarification is with respect to page 9 about people who are employed in the healthcare, social and elderly sector, and who live with a person at higher risk (this will also apply, however, for employees who are themselves at higher risk).
The latest guidelines Good advice for you who are at higher risk from the Danish Health Authority is from february 16th.
Employees who live with people at higher risk, for example a partner or a child, should not in connection with their employment:
Work with patients in isolation, irrespective of whether these have been confirmed as COVID-19 positive or are awaiting test results. This means that you can work in close contact with patients who are awaiting test results, but who are not in isolation while they are waiting. For example, this could be patients who are routinely tested in connection with hospital admission, or people who come for elective or outpatient treatment. This also means that the relevant employees can work with patients in isolation for other reasons than COVID-19 or suspicion of COVID-19.
Work with the reception and assessment of patients who have been referred to hospital admission or examination, and who arrive with typical and characteristic symptoms of COVID-19, or who have been referred as "obs COVID-19". If a patient – without a prior "obs COVID-19" note – arrives at an emergency admissions department, a department or an outpatient department with typical and characteristic symptoms of COVID-19, the employee should ask others to take over the reception and assessment of the patient.
Therefore, the employee may work in a department or a section with COVID-19 patients or "obs COVID-19" patients, provided the above is observed.
Employees with tasks involving patient transport, for example porters, should not transport confirmed COVID-19 patients or "obs COVID-19" patients who are awaiting test results, and who are in isolation, if the employees live with a person at higher risk, see above. Cleaning staff who live with people at higher risk, see above, should not clean rooms after COVID-19 isolation patients. Both groups can otherwise perform their duties as usual.
It is assumed that, in all work with patients, there is a situation in which employees can easily use the relevant personal protective equipment.
Employees are responsible for informing their immediate manager if they are living with people at higher risk.
Reporting absent for staff at higher risk and staff with relatives at higher risk
If it is not possible to organise the workplace or change other employees' tasks such that work can be performed in accordance with recommendations from the Danish Health Authority for individuals who are at higher risk of a serious illness after infection with COVID-19, an option may be for the employee to report absent. This applies for staff at higher risk themselves, and staff with relatives at higher risk.
During the period of absence, employees will be entitled to full pay, provided that the Capital Region of Denmark has reimbursement access. This applies currently until march 31st 2021.
According to the Danish Sickness Benefits Act, a number of conditions have to be met:
The employee's doctor has to provide a medical assessment of whether the employee has a higher risk of COVID-19 infection. If the employee is a relative to a person at higher risk, the relative's doctor should document that the relative is at higher risk.
The employer should declare that it is not possible to organise the workplace or change tasks such that work can be performed in accordance with recommendations from the Danish Health Authority for individuals who are at higher risk of a serious illness after infection with COVID-19. On this basis, the employer will then relieve the employee completely from work duties.
The employee also has to meet the conditions for entitlement to sickness benefits, including the requirement for number of working hours with respect to the municipality.
Link to employer's declaration on relief from work duties:
Employer declaration
Pregnant women from week 28
(For pregnant up untill week 28, please refer to the section above regaring people at higher risk)
With focus on the unborn child, employees with work functions with close contact with patients, citizens or children, e.g. treatment or care tasks, must be reassigned to other tasks with no contact with citizens from week 28 of their pregnancy. If it is not possible to reassign the employee to other tasks with no contact with citizens, e.g. telephone consultations or similar, and working from home is not possible in the function or with regard to the tasks for which the pregnant employee is responsible, the pregnant employee should report absent for pregnancy.
FAQ about symptoms, test, children and close contact.
Updated january 20th
Here you can find the answers on frequently asked questions about among other things, symptoms of corona, test both with and without symptoms, if your child gets symptoms or is in close contact, etc.
1. What are the symptoms of COVID-19, and what should I do if I have these symptoms?
According to the Danish Health Authority, the typical symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the symptoms you know from influenza and other infections in the upper respiratory tract. You feel unwell and you may have a dry cough, fever, breathing difficulties, muscle pain or a sore throat. Some people may also experience other symptoms such as headache, nausea, diarrhoea and loss of taste and smell. Symptoms and severity vary from person to person.
If you have any symptoms, you must:
Self-isolate
Pay special attention to hygiene
Pay special attention to cleaning
Call your general practitioner who will assess your symptoms and perhaps refer you for a test, or contact your manager to arrange a test.
Wear a face mask if you have to leave self-isolation for a short period, for example to be tested.
Read more about what to do if you fall ill on the Danish Health Authority website.
2. How can I get tested for coronavirus?
If you have symptoms:
Employees in the healthcare sector, and employees who work with vulnerable groups in the social sector, can be tested for coronavirus by agreement with their manager.
If your job is linked to a hospital, you can find more information about how to arrange an appointment on the hospital intranet and website. See also the Capital Region of Denmark website on corona tests for staff.
If you have no symptoms:
If you have no symptoms and want to be tested for coronavirus, book an appointment on coronaprover.dk.
Go to coronaprover.dk and follow the guidelines to arrange your appointment.See also the Capital Region of Denmark website on corona tests for the public.
3. When can I go back to work after having had symptoms of COVID-19, but a negative test result?
You can return to work immediately after you have received your negative test result and when you are free of symptoms.
See the guidelines from the Danish Health Authority: Guidelines for managing COVID-19 in the health service. 22.01.21
4. When can I go back to work after having received a positive test result?
You can return to work once you have been free of symptoms for at least 48 hours. If you have no symptoms, you can return to work 7 days after your positive test result.
See the guidelines from the Danish Health Authority: Guidelines for managing COVID-19 in the health service. 22.01.21
5. What should I do if my child has symptoms of COVID-19?
Contact your general practitioner (or call 1813) who will assess whether your child needs to be tested. If your job is linked to a hospital, you may find more information about how to arrange an appointment on the hospital intranet and website.
Your child is considered ill, and you can therefore take your child's first and second day of sickness, if possible. If your child is ill for longer than two sick days, you should contact your manager to arrange to work from home, take time off in lieu of pay, take care days or take holiday. If you have used all your days off from work, and working from home is not an option, you can talk to your manager about taking time off without pay.
You do not have to self-isolate as long as your child has not tested positive, and you can return to work.
See more in this folder A4 flyer to parents whose child has been tested for coronavirus.
See the Danish Health Authority Information for parents in the event of symtoms that may be COVID-19, infection with coronavirus in daycare facilities, schools and other facilities for children and young people
6. What should I do if my child has been in close contact with a person infected with coronavirus?
Contact your general practitioner (or call 1813) to be referred for a test. If your job is linked to a hospital, you may find more information about how to arrange an appointment on the hospital intranet and website.
Your child must home isolate. In the period in which your child is in home isolation, but is not ill, you cannot take your child's first and second day of sickness. If possible, you can arrange with your manager to work from home, take care days, time off in lieu of pay or holiday. If you have used all your days off from work, and working from home is not an option, you can talk to your manager about taking time off without pay.
If your child is under 14 years of age and has been sent home due to a case of COVID-19 at their daycare centre, preschool or school, then you can apply for parental leave benefits for up to 10 days, in accordance with Section 26a of the Parental Leave Act. Receiving the benefits is conditional upon e.g. you taking time off without pay because you are not able to work from home, have no care days or time off in lieu of wages available and that you do not take holiday. Cohabiting parents must both fulfill these conditions if they are both employed. Furthermore, the conditions in the Parental Leave Act for the right to benefits must also be met, including the employment requirement. In connection with an application for payment of benefits, Udbetaling Danmark will send you an employer declaration that the Region must sign.
You do not have to home-isolate as long as your child has not tested positive for coronavirus, and you can return to work.
See the Danish Health Authority Information for parents in the event of symtoms that may be COVID-19, infection with coronavirus in daycare facilities, schools and other facilities for children and young people
7. What should I do if my child has tested positive for coronavirus?
If you are caring for a child infected with Covid-19, you must self-isolate with your child away from the rest of your family and you must be tested immediately.
When you are in self-isolation – and as long as you do not have any symptoms – you will be registered as taking time off with pay.
See The Danish Health Authority guidelines: For you, who are close contact to a person who has tested positive for coronavirus - 24.11.20
Note that anyone who has been within 2 metres of a person infected with coronavirus for more than 15 minutes is to be considered a close contact. Moreover, all close contacts must self-isolate until they have received their second negative test result.
See more in The Danish Health Authoritys pamphlet Tracing infection of people you have been contact with - 19.01.21
See also The Danish Health Authoritys pamphlet For you, who tested positive for coronavirus
Special for you, who are fully vaccinated
People who have been fully vaccinated (i.e. 14 days after the second injection, regardless of vaccine) and who are asymptomatic (i.e. they have not developed symptoms of COVID-19 since exposure) do not have to self-isolate if they become a close contact. However,
it is still recommended that you get tested twice if you are a close contact.
You should also self-isolate if you develop symptoms of COVID-19.
8. What should I do if my child has to stay at home due to a general lockdown of daycare facilities, schools and/or institutions
If your child has to stay at home due to a general lockdown of daycare facilities, schools and/or institutions, you cannot apply for parental leave benefits. You may perhaps arrange with your manager to work from home, take care days, time off in lieu of pay or holiday. If you have used all your days off from work, and working from home is not an option, you can talk to your manager about taking time off without pay.
The temporary scheme for parents caring for a child due to Covid-19 does not apply in this situation, and therefore it is not possible to apply for parental leave benefits.
9. Can I go to work if someone in my household has tested positive for coronavirus?
No, you must self-isolate and be tested as soon as possible. See the Danish Health Authority's information material for close contacts to a person who has tested positive for coronavirus.
Note that anyone who has been within 2 metres of a person infected with coronavirus for more than 15 minutes is to be considered a close contact. Moreover, all close contacts must self-isolate until they have received their second negative test result.
See more in The Danish Health Authoritys pamphlet Tracing infection of people you have been contact with - 19.01.21
See also The Danish Health Authoritys pamphlet For you, who tested positive for coronavirus
When you are in self-isolation – and as long as you do not have any symptoms – you will be registered as taking time off with pay.
Special for you, who are fully vaccinated
People who have been fully vaccinated (i.e. 14 days after the second injection, regardless of vaccine) and who are asymptomatic (i.e. they have not developed symptoms of COVID-19 since exposure) do not have to self-isolate if they become a close contact. However,
it is still recommended that you get tested twice if you are a close contact.
You should also self-isolate if you develop symptoms of COVID-19.
10. Can I go to work if someone in my household has symptoms of COVID-19?
Yes, you can go to work as long as this person has not tested positive for coronavirus.
11. Can I go to work if I have spent time with someone who is infected with coronavirus or has symptoms of COVID-19?
If the person you have spent time with has not tested positive for coronavirus, you can go to work.
If the person you have spent time with has tested positive for coronavirus, and you have been in close contact with this person, you should get tested. You must self-isolate and cannot go to work. See the Danish Health Authority's information material for close contacts to a person who has tested positive for coronavirus.
Note that there are special precautions for contact tracing among staff within health care, elderly care and certain parts of the social sector in terms of when staff are defined as a close contact.
Note that anyone who has been within 2 metres of a person infected with coronavirus for more than 15 minutes is to be considered a close contact. Moreover, all close contacts must self-isolate until they have received their second negative test result.
See more in The Danish Health Authoritys pamphlet Tracing infection of people you have been contact with - 19.01.21
When you are in self-isolation – and as long as you do not have any symptoms – you will be registered as taking time off with pay.
When you are in self-isolation – and as long as you do not have any symptoms – you will be registered as taking time off with pay.
Special for you, who are fully vaccinated
People who have been fully vaccinated (i.e. 14 days after the second injection, regardless of vaccine) and who are asymptomatic (i.e. they have not developed symptoms of COVID-19 since exposure) do not have to self-isolate if they become a close contact. However,
it is still recommended that you get tested twice if you are a close contact.
You should also self-isolate if you develop symptoms of COVID-19.
12. What is a 'secondary contact' to an infected person, and what should you do if you find out that you are a 'secondary contact' to an infected person?
There may be situations in which you do not meet the criteria for being a close contact, but there is still a risk of becoming infected. For example,
if you sat beside the infected person and you are unsure whether you have kept the recommended distance
if you have been in an unventilated room for a longer period
if you have attended an event with several infected people (a so-called superspreader event)
In all of these situations, you may be a 'secondary contact'.
If you find out that you are a 'secondary contact', you must get tested as soon as possible – either with a rapid test or a PCR test. You do not have to self-isolate, and you can go to work if you do not have any symptoms of COVID-19.
However, you should pay particular attention to whether you develop symptoms, and remember the general recommendations to prevent infection spread such as hand hygiene, keeping a distance and using a face mask in situations where this is required.
If you are fully vaccinated and you find out that you are a 'secondary contact', you must follow the same recommendations to prevent infection spread as if you were not vaccinated. This means that you can go to work, but you must be tested as soon as possible.
13. When
can I return to work if I have COVID-19 symptoms after the vaccine?
Be
aware if you develop a fever, you feel unwell, have a headache, flu-like
symptoms or muscle and joint pain after the vaccine, as these symptoms can also
be a sign that you have been infected with COVID-19.
If these symptoms go away within 48 hours after the
vaccine, you can return to work when you are free of symptoms.
If, after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, these symptoms
last longer than 48 hours, you must get a PCR test, which must be negative
before you go to work. However, this does not apply if you have had confirmed
COVID-19 within the past 12 weeks. In that case, you can return to work when
you are free of symptoms, and you do not need to get tested for COVID-19.