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Dagbladet reports on an internal report at the Norwegian Health Directorate in which health director Bjørn Guldvog kills the quarantine exemption scheme for athletes. They are released from quarantine when they enter from red areas abroad, unlike the general population.
Health Minister Bent Høie and the government, on the other hand, chose to keep the exception, but with some adjustments.
“The health of the population must come first”
Already on November 18, the Norwegian Health Directorate recommended that the government scrap the plan.
«The prioritization of the health of the population must prevail over the prioritization of this type of events. The Norwegian Health Authority has overall responsibility for national health preparedness. In light of this, we cannot, as the situation is now, recommend anything that could contribute to an increase in the burden on the local health service »writes the Norwegian Health Directorate in the report reproduced by Dagbladet.
The problem became apparent when players from the Norwegian soccer team flew on a scheduled flight out of Norway after having been in close contact with crown-infected player Omar Elabdellaoui.
Receive support from FHI
“The situation regarding Norway’s exit from quarantine in connection with the meeting of the national football team last week was demanding. In this context, some professional infection control challenges were highlighted that carry an increased risk of the spread of infection between different countries ”, they write in the report and receive support from the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH).
“Whether elite athletes should be a special group that is exempt from entry quarantine is more of a political decision than an infection control professional,” writes FHI in the report.
There have also been outbreaks of infections within club teams in Norway. Infections have been detected in Brann, Strømsgodset and Viking. The Norwegian Health Directorate fears in the report that it may lose control in Norway, with the infection spreading hidden in the country.
The Norwegian Health Directorate declined to comment on the case beyond what is stated in the report.
General Secretary Karen Kvalevåg of the Norwegian Sports Confederation told db.no that sports will comply with the rules and recommendations of the authorities.
