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The R number has risen to 1.4 nationwide since February 22. Health Minister Bent Høie warns that national measures may be introduced at short notice if outbreaks occur in multiple locations.
Watch the press conference directly in the video window from 2pm.
The third wave of infection has reached Norway. On Tuesday 1,150 infected people were registered in Norway. It is a new national record.
The capital also set its own infection record with 495 cases registered on the same day.
– Now we set records that nobody wants to set. We are in a third wave, says Health Minister Bent Høie at the press conference.
On Wednesday 226 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus, the highest number since April 10 of last year. This corresponds to more than a triple in the last month, the VG summary shows.
– FHI reports 153 new admissions in a week and this is the highest number of new admissions in a week since March last year, Høie says at the press conference.
The National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) states in the latest weekly report that the R number nationwide has risen to 1.4 since February 22. According to the same report, the British variant of the virus now accounts for 76 percent of all cases in Norway.
Strict measures in various municipalities
The government has introduced the highest level of measures throughout Viken, the Gran municipality in the interior, Haugalandet, the Salten region and the former Vestfold municipalities.
The Minister of Health states that the NIPH and the Norwegian Health Directorate recommend continuing to reduce infection locally.
– If there are many more outbreaks in various parts of the country, we have plans to introduce national measures, warns Høie.
Measurements can be entered at short notice.
A week ago, Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced that the government is ready to introduce a series of national measures if infection rates do not decrease.
Oslo itself has introduced some of the strictest measures since the start of the pandemic.
The infection pressure is highest in the age group 10-19 years. Figures from last week show that 179 out of 100,000 people in the age group were registered as infected. But infection rates are increasing in all age groups.
In week 10, more than 190,000 people were tested for the coronavirus in Norway. At least 5,585 people were registered infected. The figures may still change somewhat due to subsequent registrations.
Some Viken labs have had problems with the analytical capabilities of the corona tests and therefore have had a longer turnaround time.
Quarantine exceptions for healthcare personnel
Health professionals who have been vaccinated can be exempted from quarantine to ensure that the wheels turn in the health service, Høie said at the press conference.
– They should be tested and quarantined in their spare time, he adds.
It is also required that three weeks have passed since the first dose of vaccine.
– This will make it easier for the wheels to turn in the health and care service, says Høie.
Guldvog: these are the tips for Easter
To travel:
- Avoid traveling within the country
- Discourage all travel abroad that is not strictly necessary.
– If you are still traveling, you must stay in a quarantine hotel for at least three days, says Guldvog.
Cabin tips:
– You should only travel to the cabin with the people you live with or similarly close. It could be, for example, a girlfriend, says Guldvog.
It says that if you travel to a place with other advice than you have at home, you should follow the strictest advice. He also advises against having night visits if you are coming from areas with high infection, such as Oslo and Viken.
– People from different households shouldn’t sleep in the same room, he says.
