Norwegian Health Directorate and NIPH recommend that national measures continue until February – NRK Norway – Summary of news from different parts of the country

Therefore, the government follows the recommendations of the National Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian Health Directorate that national measures should continue mainly until February.

Changes apply from midnight to Tuesday, February 23. The government will make a new evaluation of the measures in mid-March.

– We see that national measures have taken effect, and they are increasingly being protected through vaccines. You are on the right track. At the same time, the infection situation remains unstable. Therefore, we are mainly continuing with national measures that will limit the spread of the infection, says Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

This changes the government in national measures:

• Students may be physically present during teaching at universities, colleges and vocational schools with improved infection control measures.
• The government also opens it for sporting events and competitions for children and young people that bring together participants from the same municipality. These events can have up to 50 people indoors and 200 people outdoors. In sports that involve close contact, such as football and handball, all participants in the competition must be from the same municipality.
• Fixed seating requirement is replaced by fixed assigned seating requirement. This means that the public will be able to sit on a chair, bench or similar, or in a fixed place on the floor throughout the event. This change allows for larger events in many more facilities.
• It is allowed with up to 100 people in indoor events. This means a hardening for actors who today can have up to 200 people in fixed seats, such as a theater, but a relief for actors in other types of venues such as town halls and concert stages.
• For outdoor events, the maximum limit of 200 people is maintained, but it can be 200 people x 3 cohorts if they sit in fixed assigned places and there is a distance of two meters between the cohorts.
• Today it is allowed to serve alcohol to those who are served food. Alcohol spillage must stop before midnight. The government follows the advice of the Norwegian Health Directorate and the National Institute of Public Health to change the drinking stop from kl. 24:00 to 22:00.
• There will be the same opportunity to serve alcohol at events as in restaurants.

The government is also repealing local measures that were introduced in western Norway a few weeks ago.

“As the situation is now, it will be necessary to continue most national infection control measures for at least two more weeks to maintain control,” the Norwegian Health Directorate wrote in its recommendation to the government.

Stricter rules on arrival in Norway

– I am very happy that we are now opening up for students to be physically present when they teach in universities, colleges and vocational schools. I hope these relays make student life a little brighter for many, says Education Minister Guri Melby.

So it will not be the great relays for the sport that have been sued:

– When it comes to the best sports, many have called for the start of league matches. But we must follow a priority, which is why we elect children and young people up to the age of 20 now, so that there is not yet a vacancy for league games in the best sports, says Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

The government is also announcing new measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus upon entering Norway.

The technical personnel scheme that was announced in early February is now ready and will go into effect on Saturday, February 20. The government writes that it will have strict requirements and limitations.

The Norwegian Maritime Authority will be responsible for the new scheme.

It includes foreign workers who have technical competence and who are absolutely necessary to assemble, disassemble, inspect, repair, maintain or report on the use of machines or technical equipment.

The employee must have a labor or contractual relationship with the applicant company.

It is also a prerequisite that the work is strictly necessary to maintain activity in the business.

– In the first instance, we open ourselves to technical personnel who carry out tasks strictly necessary to maintain activity in Norwegian workplaces. Now we will see if we can finally open ourselves up to other employees, says Trade and Industry Minister Iselin Nybø.

Health authorities recommend strict border control

Employees allowed to enter Norway must still comply with strict quarantine regulations, and employers offering accommodation to foreign workers must have accommodation approved by the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority in advance.

The Government has adopted amendments to the covid-19 regulation that guarantee that employers can be punished if the requirements for a place of residence for employees are not met.

Health authorities also recommend maintaining strict measures against imported infection and strengthening work with testing, isolation, infection control and quarantine.

The Norwegian Health Directorate writes that in the coming months it will be important to continue strict border control, extensive testing and effective monitoring of the quarantine after entry.

“We recommend, like FHI, that relief for business travelers should still be awaited. For example, the national arrival control center is not operational and has been informed to the municipal doctor since March 1 and fully operational since March 8, “writes the Norwegian Health Directorate.

Measurements are a great burden for children and youth

“We have gradually received good documentation that infection control measures have been a great burden on children and young people. Politically, it is an objective to preserve them as much as possible ”, writes the management.

At the same time, the Norwegian Health Directorate notes that mutated variants are most contagious in age groups, including children. Therefore, children and young people can contribute to the spread of infection to a greater extent than before.

This is recommended by the Norwegian Health Directorate and the NIPH:

• The National Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian Health Directorate recommend that national measures continue mainly until February.
• The Norwegian Health Directorate and the National Institute of Public Health recommend making more flexible measures affecting children and young people
• The Norwegian Directorate of Health and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health recommend that municipalities and not the government should decide whether upper secondary schools should close when strict infection control measures are introduced.
• The Norwegian Health Directorate supports the FHI recommendation that students may be more physically present when teaching at universities, colleges and vocational schools. This applies in areas without breakouts.
• The Norwegian Health Directorate supports the recommendation of the National Institute of Public Health that conventions of matches and drinks for children and young people under the age of 20 can be organized for residents of the municipality. The local infection situation must be taken into account.
• The National Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian Health Directorate recommend maintaining strict measures against imported infections, strengthening work with testing, isolation, infection control and quarantine (TISK) and maintaining measures that limit national mobility.

The pour stop should continue

The text of the work also indicates that in the coming weeks low mobility between municipalities will be important. “This could have an impact on the design of measures both at local and national level,” writes the Norwegian Health Directorate.

In the report, the Norwegian Health Directorate also recommends continuing to restrict alcoholic beverages. “A relaxation of the bar regulations would now send a signal that the situation is improving, and we believe it is too early to conclude,” writes the Norwegian Health Directorate in its recommendation.

In addition, the management writes that they support the recommendation of the National Institute of Public Health to change the stop to drink from midnight to 10 at night.

The Norwegian Health Directorate also writes about airborne infections in the new report.

“As we gain more knowledge, it may be relevant to consider whether the 1 meter distance limit should be increased to 2 meters. It may also be relevant to assess whether greater emphasis should be placed on ventilation requirements.”