Norwegian health leaders disagree with Trump:

Donald Trump left Walter Reed Hospital on Tuesday, where he has been hospitalized for coronary disease since Saturday night. In a video posted shortly after returning home, Trump repeated the statement he made early Monday, asking Americans not to be afraid of the virus.

– I have learned a lot about the coronavirus. One thing is for sure: don’t let it dominate you, don’t be afraid of it. You will beat it says Trump in the video – and assures voters that the United States has “the best medicine in the world” and that a vaccine will arrive “immediately.”

When asked by VG during the government press conference on the crown situation about what he thinks about Trump saying that Covid-19 should not be feared, Bent Høie says

– I do not agree that Covid-19 should not be feared. I am concerned about Covid-19 every day and hourly, says the Minister of Health.

– Agree that we should have a hope

Høie also says that you should not only worry and think about Covid-19, but you should let everyday life be as normal as possible.

– We have a virus among us that is very contagious and for many it can have serious consequences. We have to deal with it. We must comply with the infection control rules. It is incredibly important, both for our own sake and for the most vulnerable among us who can become seriously ill from this virus. So I agree that it will work out, but it is up to us to persevere until we have access to a vaccine or new treatments. I agree that we should have hope, says Bent Høie.

Health Director Bjørn Guldvog responds as follows:

– I would say that it is possible to agree with Trump on the positive point of view, at the same time that we are sufficiently cautious about the virus, that I think his statements downplay it.

The infection has not subsided

Although infection in Norway has not increased as in other European countries, it has not decreased either, according to FHI.

– The number of reported cases has fluctuated between 700 and 800 weekly cases in recent weeks. There were 788 cases last week, compared to 766 in week 39, says FHI’s Line Vold at the government press conference.

– The cases reported last week may be related to a persistent infection in the municipality of Oslo, says Vold.

She says the trend is pretty steady for the last two to three weeks evenly.

– We see that it has been a fall holiday and some operate with a numerical jump from Oslo, but those numbers have not been resolved, says Vold.

– Norway is still a different country

Health Minister Bent Høie (H) says that the spread of the infection is still at a relatively low level nationally despite several local outbreaks. It also warns that infection is increasing in various other parts of the world.

– Norway is a still different country in a positive sense in Europe. We see that the spread of the infection is unfortunately increasing dramatically in several countries and we also have no guarantee that it won’t happen here, he says.

During the press conference, the Minister of Health highlighted the importance of international cooperation to face the crisis.

– I strongly advise against the belief that each country will fend for itself. We need more international cooperation, not less, says Høie.

He warns that the government will contribute an extra 20 million crowns to the WHO from the health and welfare budget, in addition to what is usually done, from the budget to the Ministry of Health.

– This is not help. This is to strengthen WHO to strengthen us as well. The pandemic shows us that, in any case, the World Health Organization is invaluable. Not just for us, but also for other countries and global health readiness.

When Dagbladet asks if he’s from the United States what he’s talking about when he warns against walking alone, Høie replies:

– The United States has announced that it will withdraw from the WHO. Norway chooses to do the opposite, that is, to strengthen our contribution.