– Use the correct voice volume – NRK Vestland

The Bergen City Council, which determines infection control measures in the municipality, has been criticized for poor cooperation with the City Council before the introduction of the strictest infection control measures since March.

Opposition politicians believe that they should have been more involved in deciding the measures and ask that they be justified.

The rule of a maximum of five people in private homes has particularly gone on.

The criticism comes too early, says E claim Hansen, CEO of Helse Bergen.

– It is important that criticisms arise in our open society, but use the right volume of votes when we now need support for the measures. Then we will evaluate and learn later, Hansen says.

– Most important to protect the vulnerable

In Bergen and seven surrounding municipalities, only a maximum of five people are allowed in private homes, and a number of other measures have been introduced to avoid parties and large social gatherings.

The measures were introduced on Nov. 6 after several outbreaks, and Hansen believes Bergen has already seen the consequences of high infection rates.

On Wednesday, Helse Bergen reported on the first child in Norway to lose his life after coronary heart disease. The boy had a serious underlying disease.

– Something can be criticized along the way, but the most important thing is to monitor the measures and ensure that the measures are not extended to vulnerable groups. That’s what applies right now, Hansen says.

Helse Bergen calculates the R-value locally. When the measurements were entered, the R-value was 1.6. Today, the number has dropped to 1.2.

Law professor Hans Fredrik Marthinussen believes that Councilor Roger Valhammer (Labor Party) violates human rights and should resign. He believes that regulations on infection control measures are invalid.

He has no comment on Hansen’s criticism.

– It does not change the obvious legal deficiency of the process, write in a text message.

– Criticism does not come too soon

Opposition politicians Harald Victor Hove (H) and Mikkel Grüner (SV) are said to have asked in August to be more involved in decisions related to the measures. Hove believes that confidence in Valhammer has weakened.

Last week, 581 infected with the coronavirus were registered in Bergen.

– The municipality of Bergen and the surrounding municipalities have done a very good job. It requires action and measures during a pandemic, Hansen says.

Hove disagrees with criticism coming early.

– This is first and foremost a criticism of the lack of justification for the introduction of the strictest measures that we have had since the Second World War. I think the hospital director at least requires that the doctorsit’s a diagnosis before a patient is sent to the operating table, says Hove.

He believes that the city council was aware that the opposition parties wanted more participation before the second wave of the announced infection arrived, and therefore believes that criticism should come now.

Mikkel Grüner (SV) also believes that the director’s criticism has failed.

– Our criticism of the city council is not about medical assessments, which are difficult to assess precisely because we do not know the basis, but about the principles of good democratic practice, he writes to NRK and continues:

– Ask legitimate questions about healthy democratic processes, and they should never be perceived as dangerous, not even in a pandemic. I caution against any suggestion that democratic oversight indirectly contributes to the spread of the infection. It is an authoritative premise that I must reject.