Can’t close county municipal high schools in Troms and Finnmark – NRK Troms and Finnmark – Local News, TV and Radio

– We have come to the conclusion that the legal basis for such a decision is not completely in place as it should be in accordance with the Infection Control Law and in accordance with the covid-19 regulations.

This is what Troms and Finnmark County Deputy Governor Bård Magne Pedersen told NRK.

Initially, the county municipalities of Troms and Finnmark decided that all schools in the county should switch to digital teaching for at least two weeks.

Pedersen says that, in his opinion and that of the county governor, such a decision will significantly limit activity in schools and have significant consequences for the student in the county.

– We have been in close dialogue with the Troms and Finnmark county municipalities over the weekend and have specified that it is the municipality that has the authority to make such a decision and not just the county municipality.

It is the municipality and the municipal infection control chief doctor who decide the measures to be taken in the different schools.

– We have recommended to the county municipality and schools to maintain a dialogue with the source municipalities so that individual schools evaluate the measures in the future. Slightly different measures will probably need to be taken depending on the situation in the individual school and municipality.

– Illegal decision

Bardu Mayor Toralf Heimdal wrote an email to all the mayors of Troms and Finnmark on Friday evening, asking for support in protest against the decision to close the schools.

– I did not think that what I read when the press release of this came is an illegal measure, says Heimdal on Saturday afternoon.

He is not surprised that the county governor has ended the shutdown.

– In this case, the county municipality has made a decision that is not in accordance with the Local Government Law and the Communicable Diseases Law. I am very surprised that they have no experience in this area here.

Heimdal refers to his own handling when a teacher was diagnosed with an infection at the Setermoen school. FHI has had its own team in the Bardu municipality after a large number of infections, which sent a clear message that measures must be specific and professionally justified, according to Heimdal.

– We were unable to close a school because one of the employees was infected. We took a class and did some digital teaching as several of the teachers were close contacts. Next week, the school is up and running again, Heimdal says.