– Too early to say if we are over the outbreak – VG

The municipality of Bergen has been badly affected by the outbreaks and in recent days has had an average of 32 new cases of infection. The highest infection has occurred among young adults. As a result, the municipality has introduced strict measures until Tuesday to deal with the infection.

On Thursday 13 new cases of infection were reported and today the number is 12 new cases. Now city councilman Roger Valhammer expects the numbers to continue to decline.

– It is too early to say if we have reduced the outbreak, but we hope that this is the downward trend that we have started now and that we are beginning to see the effect of the measures.

I hope the measures can be revoked

At the press conference last Saturday, the city council leader highlighted the seriousness of the situation.

– The infection situation is serious. The coronavirus is deadly. We fear more deaths, Valhammer said.

On Friday, a new crown death was reported in Bergen, Bergens Tidende reports. A total of 32 people have died from the coronavirus in the municipality, according to the VG summary.

Crisis management will now monitor infection figures throughout the weekend and will make an assessment on Monday on whether the strict measures should be continued.

– We are in a marathon, not a sprint. But he has some intermediate sprints, and now we are in Bergen. We hope that the most intrusive measures can be lifted on Tuesday.

Valhammer in particular highlights the consequences for the municipality’s business community.

– It is a concern that I have had for a long time, which has intensified in recent days.

The city council leader said last week that several infected people had not fulfilled their quarantine obligation, but now he says he experiences a completely different goodwill from the inhabitants.

– There are always some exceptions, but I feel that there is a different seriousness and a willingness to participate in the effort that we have invited here.

Valhammer says strict measures are not something he wants to impose on the people of Bergen.

– But when we do it, it is important that people understand why. I experience that we have been clear on this and that this is temporary. Tiredness of action is a problem and these measures are very intrusive in people’s lives.

– A tremendous responsibility

As responsible for governing Norway’s second largest city through crisis management, it has been an intense period for Valhammer.

– The day sometimes starts at night with a three-year-old, before I give birth in kindergarten and go to work. The first meeting with crisis management is at 9 o’clock, then it goes smoothly into the evening. I try to spend an hour at home with my daughter before she goes to bed. But with crisis management, there is work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The town council leader tells VG that he has felt the responsibility he has.

– It is a huge responsibility, and there is a lot of seriousness in that responsibility, because there are many consequences in the decisions we make. At the same time, it is rewarding to do the best you can to make Bergen successful. It’s not difficult to sleep little and work hard in such a crisis.

He experiences having trained people around him in crisis management, and who are well equipped for good management.

– I feel very confident that we have the best starting point to make good decisions. But in the end, I am the one who must land them. Then others must consider whether we have succeeded.

– Were you well prepared enough for a new outbreak?

– I mean we were pretty well prepared. We had a lot of staff ready, but it’s always difficult to be prepared to be hit so hard. It takes some time to build and it is difficult to have personnel ready for the highest peaks.

The city council leader thinks the shoulders were probably down this summer.

– Especially in August, I think that in many places in the country, including Bergen, people were not so good at following advice. But like I said, I feel like now it has changed. People here have thrown in and done an incredible job, so we should at least be well equipped for the sequel.

The infection control office in Bergen tells VG that they are behind schedule and that they are working at full speed to track the infection and catch up. Employees say they are exhausted and beg for even more that they can contribute to the extensive work.

Valhammer writes in an email to VG in the event that there will always be demanding situations when a crisis occurs.

– Therefore, I have always been aware that we make available all the resources to combat the outbreak in which we find ourselves now and to face the corona pandemic.

Additionally, he writes that they immediately increased capacity with additional staff when they were informed that there was a delay in detecting infections.

– And in record time, we introduced a new infection detection program to speed up infection detection. So I am glad that the resources that have now been invested, in addition to the brilliant efforts of our employees, means that we are already almost up to date today on the pending work on infection detection work.