Maximum five people in private meetings – VG

The government has called a press conference on the situation of the crown at 6 pm

Further austerity measures are expected due to increased pressure from infections in the country.

The Norwegian Health Directorate recommends that these bans be introduced for at least two weeks:

• Maximum 5 people in private meeting.
• A maximum of 10 people at an indoor event, still 200 people where everyone in the audience sits in fixed seats.
• A maximum of 200 people at outdoor events, still 600 people where everyone in the audience sits in fixed seats.
• A maximum of 10 people on church walks in Christian denominations.
• Prohibition of serving alcohol, restaurants may remain open otherwise.

– The Norwegian Health Directorate looks with concern at the situation and the increase in infection rates and supports the assessment of the situation by the National Institute of Public Health. We believe that we are likely to enter a situation of increasing infection, writes the Norwegian Health Directorate in its recommendation.

– It is also worrying that several cases of the most contagious British mutation have been discovered in Norway, more write.

Deputy Health Director Espen Rostrup Nakstad says they fear losing control if they don’t adjust now while you still have a chance to do so.

– We recommend adjusting now because we have had an increase in infection in Norway in the last three weeks, and FHI calculates an R number of 1.3, which means that we can expect a significant increase in infection in the next few weeks, said Rostrup Nakstad to VG.

The Norwegian Health Directorate also proposes to clarify existing national advice and recommendations:

Among other things, digital teaching is recommended in higher education, digital teaching in upper secondary and upper secondary education, avoiding unnecessary travel both at home and abroad and number restrictions in shopping centers and the like.

At the municipal level, they propose, among other things, that municipalities consider asking businesses and points of sale to postpone the celebration of sales until February.

They also propose an order to close the operation of gyms, bingo and swimming pools where there is a high pressure of contagion.

NIPH: Recommends Comprehensive National Councils

– We are concerned that the further spread of the infection in week 1 and perhaps week 2 will lead to the epidemic getting out of control in some municipalities and regions in January, writes the National Institute of Public Health in its recommendation.

NIPH recommends comprehensive national measures, which they write should be primarily affordable to the population until January 18:

• Avoid having guests in the house. Allow 14 days for private visits. Exceptions for necessary domestic services, etc. and live alone with 1-2 close friends.
• Private events are postponed for 14 days, until January 18.
• Leisure activities: The sport postpones the start of indoor training sessions, matches and tournaments until after January 18. This also applies to other leisure activities that bring together children and young people of different classes / cohorts.
• Universities, colleges and faculties will keep the campus closed to students until January 18. Teaching is digital during this period.
• High schools will move to the red level until January 18. Due to planning, they may need to have a full digital teaching the first two days to adjust to the red level in places that were not introduced before Christmas. At the national level, a yellow level is recommended for primary and lower secondary schools and kindergartens, unless the local situation indicates otherwise.
• Shopping centers are recommended to close until January 11 (grocery stores may be open) to avoid congestion in stores and common areas. At this point, there should be a dialogue with the sector to assess what the appropriate measures may be.
• The restaurants will be closed until January 11. It is allowed to carry.
• Religious gatherings (services, Friday prayers, etc.) are canceled or have a very small number of participants until January 18.
• Cultural events are canceled until January 18.
• Home office for absolutely everyone who can.

– It is a postponement of the launch after the Christmas holidays. People must wait to resume social life until an extra 14 days have passed; a kind of New Year’s break for everyone, writes FHI on its recommendations to the government.

– As the duration is short, the measures can be powerful without becoming disproportionate, they write.

As it stands now, this week you may have infection rates that are roughly the same level as when the decline began in November:

R number of 1.3

The R number in Norway is now estimated at 1.3, an increase from 0.8 in early December. The number indicates how many infected people spread the most.

Above 1, the infection begins to increase exponentially: a reproduction number of 1.3 means that each person infected with the coronavirus, on average, infects 1.3 more people.

– Why do you think it has increased so much?

– We believe that more person-to-person contacts at Christmas may have led to more infections. However, the situation is difficult to interpret, Aavitsland wrote to VG on Saturday.

– How fast do you think you can lower the number from 1.3 to 1?

– I think it might take a couple of weeks. The R number has varied quite a bit during the fall and has been significantly higher than 1.3, but then effort in municipalities and the population has reduced it again, Aavitsland writes in an updated response to VG on Sunday afternoon.

Ask students to stay home

On Saturday, the government wrote that there will be no physical education on campuses until January 18.

They ask the students to wait to return from Christmas break. The goal is to reduce the pressure of the infection.

– This means that those who want and have the opportunity can stay where they have been during the Christmas holidays and avoid taking a plane, train or bus to travel back to campus, says the Minister of Research and Higher Education Henrik Asheim (H) .

Asheim says the government has prepared for students to also have digital education this year. Understand that homeschooling can be challenging.

– I know it is difficult for many, and my clear message to all principals is that they should keep track of their students and create alternative professional meeting places. We all need to take care of each other, says Asheim.

See the infection trend in your municipality here:

Have you seen this one?