Corona Infected Tangen – Central Bank Governor Quarantined – E24

Norges Bank’s Director of Investment Management Nicolai Tangen reports on LinkedIn that he has tested positive for covid-19.

Tangen leads the management of the Oil Fund, the world’s largest government investment fund.

In a message posted shortly after 1:00 p.m. Thursday, Tangen writes:

“Today I tested positive for covid-19. I did a test yesterday afternoon and I feel a little bad, but I have mild symptoms.

Tangen further writes that he has now sat in isolation in his apartment in Oslo.

“I want to work from the apartment for the next two weeks,” Tangen writes.

The central bank governor in quarantine

– I can confirm that Nicolai Tangen tested positive for covid-19. What we have done for the bank is that we have started tracking infections immediately after the test result became available, says Marthe Skaar, Norges Bank Investment Management press officer to E24.

– According to the advice of the authorities, Norges Bank employees have worked from their home offices, and this will not affect the bank’s operations, he continues.

For Dagens Næringsliv, Skaar confirms that central bank governor Øystein Olsen and central bank deputy governor Jon Nicolaisen are among those who have been quarantined after being in contact with Tangen.

E24 has asked the Ministry of Finance if there is someone infected or in quarantine after the news from Norges Bank.

– Not that I know of, says Bjørnar Angell, senior communications advisor at the E24 Ministry of Finance.

However, there has been a meeting last week between Norges Bank and the ministry, but so far it has not triggered any quarantines at the ministry, Angell states:

– We had a meeting where Tangen was present on Wednesday of last week, but he stayed at least six feet away the entire time, Angell says.

I don’t know where I was infected

He doesn’t know exactly where Tangen has been infected, but he says Norges Bank has clear procedures:

“Norges Bank routines will be followed and some of my closest colleagues who have been in meetings with me have been quarantined,” Tangen writes.

These colleagues so far “will feel healthy,” according to Tangen.

The head of the Petroleum Fund adds that he has informed other people with whom he has been in contact. This likely includes Aksel Lund Svindal, whom Tangen invited for coffee in his office last week.