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Infection rates are increasing in Norway and throughout the rest of Europe, and the official infection rate in Norway is well above what the Norwegian authorities have as the limit for marking other countries in red.
However, it is Norway that is currently the ‘best in class’:
According to the latest infection figures from the European infection control organization ECDC, Norway has the lowest number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days.
In Norway, this number is now 34.3 new infections per 100,000.
Countries with the lowest number of new infections
Next on the list after Norway is Cyprus, with 38.1 new people per 100,000 inhabitants.
Norwegian authorities have several criteria for marking countries in red, and the number of infections is one of them.
Countries with an infection rate of less than 20 are marked in yellow on the European map of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and countries with an infection greater than 20 new in the last 14 days are marked in red.
Since midnight on Saturday October 10, all of Europe is red, with the exception of some regions of Sweden and Finland.
According to the latest ECDC figures, these are the countries with the lowest infection, after Norway and Cyprus:
Finland with 44.9, Estonia with 46.5 and Greece with 46.1.
The infection rate in Sweden is 72.5 and in Denmark it is 98.9.
Higher border with new EU map
EU member states have now agreed on a common color chart for travel restrictions. The new system is more liberal than the Norwegian one, but still receives government support.
If Norway complies with the new EU lines, it will mean that the border number for the red countries will be increased to 50.
– Norway has appreciated this initiative. This could create predictability for countries and avoid unfounded obstacles, Health and Care Services Minister Bent Høie (H) said in a statement to the Storting on Tuesday about the crown crisis.
– At the same time, it is up to national authorities to assess the risk landscape and decide on measures based on national conditions, Høie said.
Dinside wrote yesterday about the new travel rules for the EU.
As you can see from the discussion of the new color codes below, more colors are being introduced than we are used to with the Norwegian traffic light system today – green, orange, red and gray are being added.
For green countries, the infection limit for new infections and the green color code is set at 25 per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days.
Today, this limit is 20 in Norway.
According to the latest infection figures from the European Infection Control Agency ECDC, there are currently no countries in Europe that meet the new green country requirement.
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Graduated constraints
As expected, European ministers from EU countries adopted the new color map on Tuesday, after an agreement on the proposal was reached last week.
The main grip is a common color map where countries are ranked green, yellow, or red based on the level of infection in the last 14 days. It is recommended that there be no restrictions on entry from green regions, but countries may have entry restrictions from other areas.
For regions that are orange, red or gray, the latter are areas with a limited number base, member states may require quarantine or testing upon entry. Ministers recommend that a distinction be made between the measures for the orange and red zones.
The decision also provides for a common form to track travelers from countries that require it.
Red traffic light for all cross-border trade
More liberal borders
This is similar to the “traffic light” system that Norway introduced earlier this fall. However, the recommendations of the EU Council of Ministers set significantly more liberal limits for the yellow and red levels than the limits currently applied in Norway.
The new recommendations are intended to clear up a confusing and chaotic patchwork of national travel advice, and the EU Council’s starting point has been that they should also apply to EEA countries like Norway.
However, the recommendations are not legally binding on member states.
Such are the recommendations
EU countries agree on four color codes to indicate the spread of the coronavirus in a country or region. Colors will be based on the number of tests per 100,000 residents, the number of new infection cases per 100,000 residents, and the proportion of positive tests in the last two weeks.
Green: Fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 population and less than 4 percent positive samples.
Orange: Less than 50 new cases of infection per 100,000 inhabitants and 4% or more of positive samples, or 25-150 new cases of infection and less than 4% of positive samples.
Red: 50 or more new cases per 100,000 inhabitants and 4 percent or more positive samples, or 150 or more new cases.
Gray: Where there is insufficient information or where fewer than 300 people are evaluated for every 100,000 inhabitants.
