[ad_1]
The government will hold a press conference at 2 pm on the status of the crown. Health Minister Bent Høie says he is aware that many now expect relief in infection control measures, after the National Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian Health Directorate today recommended moving away from the ring system in eastern Norway.
– The infection is now at the level it was at the end of this fall. Several are protected by vaccines and the pressure on hospitals has decreased, says the minister.
– Measurements were too weak
He says the government will prioritize aid for children and youth if this is possible.
– But I want to emphasize that relief for children and young people means a greater risk of spreading the infection, says Høie, and says that a consequence will be that the government cannot provide at the same time for adults and sector by sector.
– The experience this autumn is that national measures were too weak to avoid a new wave. The risk now increases as a result of more infectious variants of the virus. This reinforces the need for strict national measures, in addition to the efforts of municipalities, he says.
– Play less role
Høie goes on to say that vaccination is constantly progressing. Around 300,000 doses and approx. 70,000 people have been fully vaccinated, most of them living in nursing homes and an increasing number of older people living at home. Two million doses can reach the country before summer.
The Health Minister says that to return to everyday life through vaccination, it does not matter where the individual is in the vaccine queue.
– If you are young and healthy, a first place in the queue is not necessarily the most important thing, but rather the queue moves fast, emphasizes – and emphasizes that it is different for people who are seriously ill and live in isolation.
– Then it is urgent to get the vaccine, says the minister.
He points out that when enough people in the risk group have been vaccinated, as well as healthcare personnel, we can probably tolerate more infections in society.
– It means fewer rules and fewer measures. And when most adults have been vaccinated, hopefully we can go back to living normally, and that day will come, says Høie.
– Without opening for vaccinated
It continues that it will not be possible to keep shopping centers open or organize festivals exclusively for the vaccinated.
– Measures to reduce the spread of infection are mainly related to the number of people in society who have been vaccinated and, to a much lesser extent, with whom we have been vaccinated, says the minister.
Oslo, led by Councilor Raymond Johansen, has long advocated “dumping water where it burns,” that is, administering multiple doses of vaccine where there is more infection, p. Eg the capital.
– It is an important discussion, and FHI is currently making calculations and evaluations of these issues, which will eventually end with a recommendation to the government, says Høie, who emphasizes that the work is painstaking and complicated.
– We do not know for sure how the infection situation will develop in the future, and vaccine evaluations must also take this into account, he says.
Far from the rings
The Minister of Health confirms that, in line with the recommendations of the FHI and the Norwegian Health Directorate, it is moving away from particularly strict measures in the area of Eastern Norway after the outbreaks of mutated virus variants of Nordre Follo and Halden, expressed through the ring. system.
– Starting Thursday, February 18, municipalities will switch to local measures, says Høie.
As is already known, the neighboring municipalities of Hvaler and Fredrikstad want one more day to make local decisions. This is granted.
PRESS CONFERENCE: Deputy Director of the Norwegian Health Directorate, Espen Rostrup Nakstad during the press conference. Photo: Berit Roald / NTB
see more
Men:
– It is not necessarily true that there will be relief in the municipality where you live, says Høie, noting that many municipalities will continue to maintain their strict measures, even if national measures change.
Deputy Health Director Espen Nakstad takes over. The positive development stands out, since vaccination in the oldest age group is very advanced.
Nakstad also compares Norway to other European countries, which have much stricter infection control measures, eg. curfew.
– When we see this in perspective, it is almost incredible that we have managed to have so few measurements, he says.
Geir Bukholm, director of infection control at FHI, emphasizes that few, if any, countries have regional measures in line with Norway.
Nakstad responds, to the questions, from P4, that the danger of a third wave of infection “is absolutely present.” This is due to the fact that more and more people are being vaccinated.
– On. 2 percent are now vaccinated, which means 98 percent are not, says the deputy health director, noting that those under 60 have not been vaccinated.
