The government is ready to act quickly – VG

On Friday morning, it became known that there is an ongoing outbreak with the British virus mutation in the Nordre Follo municipality in Viken, the first known outbreak of the mutant in Norway.

Health Minister Bent Høie says the government can introduce regional measures, but wait until municipalities have decided.

– It is important with the measures that are implemented locally, both in Nordre Follo and in the neighboring municipalities. Now I am awaiting the outcome of the meeting between the municipalities, the Norwegian Health Directorate, NIPH and the State Administrator. If at the meeting they come to the conclusion that the government should make a decision on measures in this area, rather than the municipalities doing it themselves, we can do so on short notice, Høie tells VG.

– How quickly can you make a decision, if necessary?

– It can go really fast. We are waiting to make decisions throughout the day.

Can last longer

It also says that strict national infection control measures may last longer, if the outbreak has spread.

– It is too early to say whether we will take national action. But it is precisely this development that has worried the government as we continue with strict measures after the New Year. It’s important to do that, says Høie, adding:

– If it turns out that we have more spread of a more contagious virus in Norway, then it will have an impact on the level of measures in the future. So we must take stricter measures in the future.

He says they are now looking at Denmark and says it may be relevant to introduce stricter measures.

– Could be, yeah. We must build on the experiences Denmark has had. There, they have had older traces of a mutated virus for several weeks. They have just continued with the stricter national measures, even though infection rates are declining.

– Good measures

According to the Nordre Follo municipal chief, the British virus variant may have spread for three weeks.

Høie learned of the outbreak Thursday night.

– Do you have control over the situation?

– I perceive that the municipality has taken good measures to control the infection. It has decreased in Nordre Follo in the last week in the same way that national measures have contributed to it elsewhere.

– We first received information that this outbreak could be related to the mutated virus last night.

You can stop Holmenkollen

On Friday, it also became clear that the government is opening up to the World Cup events in Norway, something that Oslo City Councilor Raymond Johansen (Labor Party) believes is “insane”.

Høie says that both Johansen and the government can stop specific events, if they are unjustifiable.

– We would have liked to wait to make the decision to celebrate the World Cup, but sport did not have the opportunity. So they must have canceled everything now. We open for this with two clear reservations. The government can reverse the decision if the infection situation dictates. And the municipality where the competition is held must actively say yes to the event.

– Both myself and Raymond Johansen can stop the event, if it is not justifiable, he says.

– Without connection

Høie cautions against linking the virus outbreak to the recently lifted national ban on alcoholic beverages.

– There is no connection between this and stopping drinking, but this outburst shows what I told the Storting on Tuesday: it is important in the future to have a general and strict level of measures, not just to see each individual measure for yourself. Then they must have enough measurements together, says Høie.

He will not point the finger at the opposition.

– It’s not my job to warn the Storting. We are fulfilling what the Storting asks for.