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(Nettavisen) – We experience an increase in infection throughout the fall and therefore it is more stressful to go to Christmas in quarantine, but we have to continue with the quarantine hotel scheme. As of December 13, however, the quarantine may take place in a suitable location with living space, Justice and Emergency Management Minister Monica Mæland initially said.
– It is important that everyone follows the advice that applies. If everyone follows the quarantine rules, we will remove the infection and be able to return to normal faster, he added.
Health and Care Services Minister Bent Høie said the measures have started to work, but it is too early to lower his shoulders.
– Although infection rates are high, they have begun to stabilize. But the decline has stopped, Høie said.
– You should not do that
Høie further said that we must be prepared for Norway to enter the new year with higher infection rates.
– At Christmas, some will go home and some will come from abroad. More people will gather in social gatherings and this can put pressure on infection rates. Therefore, we will continue with national measures until the second half of January. We also hear stories that people do not test themselves to be able to celebrate Christmas, but this should not be done, if there is a basis for the test, said the Minister of Health.
Høie also issued a clear warning to employers trying to cheat on quarantine rules.
– The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority will visit more often, was the clear message from the Minister of Health.
The Minister of Health and Care Services further stated that a negative test on the 7th may be enough to be quarantined, but that the Norwegian Health Directorate will maintain the current quarantine rules until at least after Christmas.
Satisfied with the handling of Oslo
Høie also said a few words about Oslo, which has the strictest measures in the country.
– It has been a positive development. I support the extension of the measures by the City Council. It’s still a job that needs to be done in the future, he said when asked by Nettavisen.
Vaccination team
The deputy director of health, Geir Stene-Larsen, of the Norwegian Health Directorate, reported that they have bought equipment that will be distributed in the municipalities.
– There are syringe tips, coolers, cotton swabs and more. Half will ship from now on and the rest in February and March, Larsen said.
– This is a milestone in the work to stop the pandemic, Larsen said today.
The distribution of vaccine kits begins in the north of the country and the supplier will work towards the south in the next two weeks. Before the new year, all municipalities will receive enough equipment so that they can start vaccination as soon as the first vaccines arrive, says the Norwegian Health Directorate.
– It is not very likely that someone will receive the vaccine before Christmas, but the turn of the year is most likely. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but work is well under way, Høie said at the press conference.
– If things go as we want, we have vaccinated a large part of the population towards the summer, but that does not mean that it will be a summer without measures, said Høie.
The Minister of Health was fully aware that open information about vaccines will be even more important in reducing skepticism among people who may refuse to be vaccinated.
Virus mutation
FHI department head Line Vold stated that a mutated variant of the virus has been reported in the UK.
– It is reported to be more contagious and therefore we will follow it closely here in Norway, he said.
– There is no indication that the variant of the virus we see in the UK causes more serious disease or affects vaccines, Vold added.
500,000 doses
In addition to the national tips for Christmas, it was recently announced that Norway hopes to start vaccinating during the new year. Now, no later than Tuesday, Sweden’s vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström declared that Norway will receive at least 500,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the first quarter.
It negotiates vaccine purchase agreements for the EU and is the one who insures the Norwegian vaccines by buying Sweden the doses from Norway and reselling them to Norway.
