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In recent days, several municipalities in Vestland have experienced outbreaks of the mutated virus variant. Before the weekend, the Bergen Municipality called on the government to introduce measures similar to those that several Østlands municipalities have adopted in recent weeks.
In the last 24 hours, there have been 13 new cases of corona in Bergen. Eight have an uncertain route of transmission and five are associated with a construction site at risk of the South African virus.
– Must have strict measures
In a press release, Health Minister Bent Høie affirms that the measures will be implemented from Sunday, February 7 at 6:00 p.m. inclusive.
– We must have stricter measures in the municipalities that are affected by outbreaks of the most contagious variants of the virus than in the rest of the country. We still have a goal to crack down and delay the spread of these most contagious varieties. The municipalities that were part of the outbreak in Nordre Follo are clear on that, and I think Bergen and the surrounding municipalities will be able to do that too, says the Minister of Health and Care Services, Bent Høie.
The municipality of Bergen has announced a press conference at 12.30 pm on Sunday.
Divided into ring system
Like municipalities in eastern Norway, municipalities in western Norway are also divided into a ring system. Ring 1 is made up of Bergen, Kvam and Ulvik and receives the strictest and most intrusive measurements.
Measurements in Bergen, Kvam and Ulvik
All events outside the home are prohibited, both indoors and outdoors, with the exception of funerals and burials.
• Request a home office for everyone who can. Employers must ensure that employees work from home to the extent possible. Employers must be able to document that information on how it will be carried out in the company has been provided to employees.
• Universities, colleges and vocational schools: All planned teaching and events should be postponed or digitized.
• The facilities of universities, colleges and vocational schools are closed to all students. Employees follow the rules of working life in general.
• Pour stop.
Duty to wear a mask in certain situations
• Stores are closed with the exception of: Grocery stores, including kiosks, natural foods and others that mainly sell food.
• Stop at general sports for children and adults.
• Stop at other leisure activities (choir, corps, theater, etc.)
• The following companies and locations will be closed:
Restaurants (allowed with take away food)
– Gyms, swimming pools, water park, spa facilities, hotel pool, etc.
– Religious and philosophical houses, with the exception of funerals and burials
– Libraries, amusement parks, bingo halls, game rooms, playgrounds, bowling alleys
– Museums, cinemas, theaters, concert halls and similar cultural and entertainment spaces
– Other public places and shops where cultural, entertainment or leisure activities take place that bring people together inside.
Ring 2 is made up of the surrounding municipalities Alver, Askøy, Bjørnafjorden, Eidfjord, Osterøy, Samnanger, Ullensvang, Vaksdal, Voss and Øygarden.
Measures in neighboring municipalities
It applies to the municipalities of Alver, Askøy, Bjørnafjorden, Osterøy, Samnanger, Vaksdal, Voss, Øygarden, Eidsfjord and Ullensvang.
Universities, colleges and vocational schools – All planned teaching and events need to be postponed or digitized.
• The facilities of universities, colleges and vocational schools are closed to all students. Employees follow the rules of working life in general.
• Request a home office for everyone who can. Employers must ensure that employees work from home to the extent possible. Employers must be able to document that information on how it will be carried out in the company has been provided to employees.
• Pour stop.
Duty to wear a mask in certain situations.
The shopping center is closed except for: Supermarkets, including kiosks, natural foods and others that mainly sell food.
• Restaurants, libraries, religious and philosophical houses and all stores that are not part of the mall can remain open.
• Public places and activities where leisure activities for children and young people under 20 years are organized may also be open, but there should be no leisure activities for others in those places.
• Pools, water parks, spa facilities, hotel pools, etc. They will be closed, but will be open for school swimming for those under 20 years of age, swimming courses and swimming training for elementary school children or younger and swimming for professional athletes. Rehabilitation and training offered individually or in small groups with an organizer is also allowed. The same goes for other individual treatments for which an appointment can be booked, and where the bath is part of the treatment.
• Sports and leisure activities are allowed for children and young people under the age of 20, but it is not allowed to organize sports activities for adults or leisure activities for adults such as organized exercises, training and rehearsals for choir, body and theater.
• Events are allowed, according to national regulations.
– Many resources
FHI Line Vold’s department director tells TV 2 that mutated variants mean you have to be even more vigilant.
– Municipalities have done a very good job cracking down on pandemic outbreaks so far and have defeated several hundred outbreaks in Norwegian municipalities. It’s a resource-intensive job and we know that, says Vold, adding:
– Based on reports from other countries, it is the case that the British and South African variants have the potential to spread even faster than the usual variants. So it is the case that you have to get even more involved with the work of TISK, that is, testing, tracking and isolating the sick, to stay in control. So this work, very well done by the municipalities so far, will be even more important in the time to come when these variants appear throughout the country.
– Unclear
In its recommendation on what measures should be applied in western Norway, the Norwegian Health Directorate writes that the infection situation in Bergen does not appear to be dramatic.
But that the serious situation is linked to outbreaks of new, more contagious virus variants.
– The situation is confusing and unclear, partly because there is no general description of how or if the various cases of infection may be related to each other. The potential for the situation in the Bergen region is dire. If the English and / or South African variant of the virus became more established in the region, it could have serious consequences for the rest of the country, writes the Norwegian Health Directorate.
