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The government with concrete recommendations for a Christmas holiday in the shadow of the pandemic.
Watch the press conference live from 12:00 in the video window at the top.
– We are concerned that the Christmas celebration will generate more infections in society. We don’t want the new year to start with more contagion, Prime Minister Erna Solberg began at Wednesday’s press conference.
Open for up to ten guests, in two days
Based on advice from the Norwegian Health Directorate and the National Institute of Public Health, the government has decided on the following measures for Christmas:
- You still need to limit the total number of people you have social contact with throughout the entire period, and not least in the run-up to Christmas.
- We maintain the recommendation that you can have up to 5 guests during the New Years.
- On two of the days we are open for up to 10 people. That means up to 10 guests on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, or two other days of your choice during the period.
- There should always be at least one meter of distance between all the people who do not otherwise live together. This applies both when you sit down at the table, when gifts are handed out and when Christmas cakes arrive.
- If you cannot have the Christmas party at a distance of at least one meter if you invite 10 people, you must invite less.
- If you come from heavily infected areas, you should keep a distance of 2 meters from people at risk.
– These are the national recommendations. In municipalities with high infection pressure, there may be stricter rules, Erna Solberg emphasized.
The new risk assessment system goes into effect on December 16
– Both national and international experience shows that it is important to react quickly with the appropriate measures to stop the spread of the infection. In Norway, we have good experiences with municipalities taking control of local outbreaks, but the coronavirus does not respect municipal boundaries. We are now further developing the current system and the current contingency plan so that we can take faster action in several municipalities at the same time when necessary, says Health Minister Bent Høie.
The National Institute of Public Health will present county-level risk assessments each week, and the system will go into effect on December 16.
The risk assessment will consist of five levels:
- Level 1 is control.
- Level 2 is the control of infection clusters.
- Level 3 is increasing diffusion.
- Level 4 is very widespread.
- Level 5 is uncontrolled spread.
For each level, a set of measures is proposed as can put into use.
Risk assessments and the package of measures are flexible and must be adapted to local and regional challenges.
The Norwegian Directorate of Health and the National Institute of Public Health have been tasked with setting up the system, and county and municipal governors will receive further information shortly.
(Source: Government)
– My concern is that those who travel bring the infection with them. Therefore, I would like to remind you of the quarantine rules. They will be there after Christmas, was Solberg’s reminder for those considering traveling abroad for Christmas.
Authorities have long reported that this year there will not be a normal Christmas. Both Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Health and Care Services Minister Bent Høie have asked people to have a “plan B”. In short, this means that you should be prepared to cancel more meetings and attend far fewer than usual.
Also read: Top health: – I think we need both 2021 and 2022
I need an early advice
The Minister of Health and Care Services said earlier this week that people should be informed well in advance.
– There is no use giving people information about this a week before Christmas, so we will find it tomorrow, Høie said in an interview with NRK.
– We will provide tips on how you can plan the Christmas parties, how many can be invited, etc. We will provide that advice to make it as predictable as possible in unpredictable weather, he added.
– A different Christmas
Erna Solberg already made it clear last week that Christmas this year will not be as usual. He also pointed out several dangers lurking in relation to a holiday in which both the travel business and social life of Norwegians are traditionally intensified:
– There will be no space to plan the big parties and parties this year. The celebration will be different, the message of November 25 said.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg arrived last week with several clues about what the holiday celebration will be like:
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