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On Friday, residents of the capital woke up to another dismal infection record.
241 infected people were registered in Oslo on Thursday, and this is the highest number recorded in one day in the city during the pandemic. The increase is 52 cases more than the day before.
– It stands out to the extent that we are in the middle of gravity. Contagion rates are one thing. Another thing that worries me is that hospital admissions are also increasing, says Councilor Robert Steen (Labor).
It goes beyond all health services
The entire city council emphasizes the importance of keeping infection rates low to avoid overloading Norwegian hospitals.
– If our hospitals have an admissions boom, it will go beyond all health services. Therefore, it is important that we be very thoughtful when it comes to infection control rules in Oslo, says Steen.
On Thursday, 138 corona-infected patients were hospitalized in Norway. 109 of corona patients are hospitalized in the Southeast healthcare region.
Not enough effect
The Oslo City Council introduced far-reaching measures and social closure in the capital on November 10. On November 16, new measures were introduced to slow the development of the infection.
– Almost two weeks ago we introduced the powerful measures. Shouldn’t we see the effect now?
– Yes, we should, but it is not the case that the measures do not take effect. The alternatives to not introducing the strict measures we have taken in Oslo would be much, much higher infection rates, many more hospitalizations and a much more dire situation, says Steen.
At the same time, the health council admits that the effect is not enough.
– We want infection rates to drop, but this is not the case. The infection increases a little more than 30 percent from week to week, and that worries us, he says.
Prayer for the youth
Most people in the age group 20-29 are still infected, where the number in the past 14 days is 556.
– We see a series of worrisome outbreaks in some parts of Oslo and that the infection increases a lot among adolescents. This is where I think we need to take extra steps in relation to holding a charity event to keep our distance, he says.
– Does this mean that young people can expect even stricter measures?
– Now we introduced the red level in schools. It is not a closure, but a stricter maintenance of the subway rule and less physical contact in schools. We must first see if it has the expected effect, he says.
It encourages young people to maintain social contact, but at the same time demands physical distance.
– The meter is as important for children and young people as it is for adults, he says.
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING: Karl Johans’ door in central Oslo tends to have thousands of visits every Christmas. This year, it seems that people are making sense and staying home due to the ravages of the coronavirus. Photo: Fredrik Hagen / NTB
Home for Christmas
When the first national measures were announced, they were scheduled to last until early December. Many people now feel a growing concern about whether they can reunite the family on Christmas Eve or go home for the Christmas holidays.
– Can we celebrate with the grandparents this year or travel home to other municipalities for Christmas?
– I think that above all it is a solid motivation to keep your physical distance from others, especially if you live in Oslo and you think you should make the trip home for Christmas. If everyone is careful not to become infected or quarantined, I think people should be allowed to go home at Christmas, says the health council.
2416 new cases of infection
The districts of Bjerke and Grorud have the highest infection pressure. Here, the infection pressure per 100,000 inhabitants in the last two weeks is 771.9 (258 cases) and 595.5 (165 cases), respectively.
Ullern district has the lowest infection pressure in Oslo with 47 new cases in the last two weeks. This corresponds to an infection pressure of 136 per 100,000 inhabitants.
A total of 2416 new cases of infection have been registered in Oslo in the last 14 days, according to statistics from the city of Oslo.
