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Bent Høie and Raymond Johansen got in touch on Friday, the same day that the Oslo municipality received the much-discussed initiative letter from health authorities.
But before Johansen’s blast during Monday’s press conference, there was no contact between the two. Dagbladet receives confirmation from sources in both camps that Høie had no idea what Raymond Johansen was going to say, or what measures the city council leader was planning to introduce in Oslo.
Therefore, the Minister of Health and Care Services, who has the political responsibility to combat the pandemic in Norway, had to wait until Johansen was broadcast live on television to get the answer.
The same applies to the Norwegian Health Directorate and the National Institute of Public Health.
Pressed for a week
“Damn” Raymond
The background is a dispute over the handling of the crown in Oslo, and what Councilor Raymond Johansen perceives as politically threatening behavior by Høie. Johansen perceived that the city council’s handling of the coronavirus was questioned by the proposal of the Minister of Health in the media.
– Over the weekend, the Health Minister took an unusual step and threatened to annul Oslo if we do not introduce the measures immediately, Johansen said for an open stage.
The letter sent on Friday outlines a series of measures that Høie and the Norwegian Health Directorate thought the capital should introduce to halt the rise of infection in Oslo.
Bent Høie: – Very worried.
Management threat
But Raymond Johansen initially wanted to wait to introduce new measures.
Dagbladet is aware that the city council leader perceived the letter from Høie, and the Høie media on Sunday and Monday, as a de facto threat to put the Oslo municipality under administration if the government was not obeyed.
Several describe a Raymond Johansen “pissed off” in the days between Friday and the Monday night press conference. They say the Labor Party experienced Health Minister Bent Høie (H) ‘s crown hints as inappropriate.
– The City Council has invited a press conference later today. I hope that the municipality will follow the advice of the health authorities. I am very concerned about the situation in Oslo, Høie said on Monday.
Raymond had to turn around
At the press conference, Johansen, clearly upset, knew that the Oslo municipality had control over the infection situation.
The plan was to wait for the situation, but due to pressure from Høie, the town council leader agreed to introduce some of the measures proposed in the letter.
Raymond Johansen also rejected the proposal to limit private gatherings to five people and close nightclubs for admission at 10 p.m.
Johansen noted that Oslo closed schools and kindergartens before the government did this spring and also introduced strict anti-nightlife measures before the government.
Oslo has 680,000 inhabitants. In total, the municipalities Høie mentions 1.3 million inhabitants. Therefore, the new infection control measures may include approximately one in four Norwegians.
