OSLO, NOV 5 - On Thursday, Norway announced a new set of measures aimed at curbing the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
In the coming weeks, Norwegians must, as far as possible, stay at home and limit social contact with other people, Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) said on Thursday morning.
“The situation is very serious,” she added.
She pointed out that there have been more than 6,000 cases of corona infection in Norway in recent weeks.
She warned that Norway could face a situation like the one seen in several places in Europe.
“We have not lost control of the situation. But we have less control than we want, and it is going in the wrong direction,” she warned.
Intensive care capacity
“If we fail to change the trend of the infection, the reserve capacity for intensive care will be filled up within a couple of months,” Solberg noted.
“The Norwegian Directorate of Health has calculated that we will see a significant increase in the number of patients who require intensive care in the coming weeks,” she said.
Furthermore, Solberg provided the Norwegian parliament with more information about new measures that will be implemented this week.
These are the national corona measures the government is introducing:
1. Recommendations for the whole country:
- In the coming weeks, everyone must stay at home as much as possible and limit social contact with other people.
- In private homes, gardens, or cottages, one should not have more than five guests in addition to household members. If all the guests are from the same household, there can be more. Two families can meet even if they have many children. The restriction does not apply to kindergarten or primary school cohorts.
- Young people and adults who have been with friends and other situations where there has not been a distance of one meter should keep a distance of two meters to people in the risk group.
- Avoid unnecessary domestic travel. Business trips that are considered necessary, and trips to leisure properties that can be carried out without contact with others are excluded.
- All universities and colleges must assess whether they can reduce teaching and other activities that contribute to increased mobility, including pressure on public transport, in the period ahead.
- Upper secondary schools must prepare for the fact that the level of measures may turn “red” if the infection rises further.
2. Rules for the entire country:
- There is a limit of up to 20 people at private gatherings in public places and rented premises. There is a limit of 50 people at indoor events without fixed seats. Indoors, there can be up to 200 people at events where everyone in the audience has fixed seats. The change will take effect at midnight the night before Monday, November 9.
- Alcohol-serving stops at midnight. Restaurants with a liquor license can not let in new guests after 10.00 PM. The change will take effect at midnight, the night before Saturday, November 7.
- Business travelers who have stayed in areas with a particularly high infection level in the last ten days before coming to Norway can no longer use the scheme that includes testing every three days. The main rule on entry quarantine will, therefore, in principle apply to employees from these areas.
- For employees who can use the exception in § 6 c, changes have been made to the provision. Employees who can use the “leisure quarantine” shall be tested every three days and be accommodated in private rooms for the first ten days in the country. The employer must facilitate keeping distance from others when the employee is in “leisure quarantine.” The exception no longer provides an exemption for entry quarantine in leisure time.
- Travelers from “red” countries must present a negative covid-19 test certificate when they arrive in Norway. The test must be taken less than 72 hours before entry. If the person does not present such a test, he or she may be refused entry. This will be implemented from midnight night to Monday, November 9. The requirement will not apply to Norwegians, persons domiciled in Norway, or persons in transit. The requirement will not apply to people who regularly come to Norway from Sweden and Finland to work. The requirement applies to health personnel who commute to Norway and who have been outside Norway for more than seven days. Personnel in critical societal functions can be exempted when necessary to avoid danger to life and health.
- Persons who come to Norway must have a permanent residence in the country. The employer or client must provide a guarantee of a suitable place of residence upon arrival in Norway. Persons, including tourists and visitors, who do not have their own residence or employer or client in Norway, must stay in quarantine in hotels and test themselves during the quarantine period. This also applies to family members who come to visit relatives in Norway.
The Norwegian Directorate of Health is commissioned to study how these requirements can be introduced.
Until the Directorate presents its findings, border control will be strengthened in accordance with existing regulations.
COURTESY NORWAY TODAY!
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