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These days, Skien is experiencing the highest number of infections since the pandemic broke out in March.
According to Telemarksavisa, the municipality had registered a total of 121 corona cases from March to November. So far in December, 122 cases of infection have been registered, shows the summary of the municipality.
On Friday, Skien Township Mayor Hedda Foss Five texted all residents to stay home as long as possible.
Danish alarm: – No more to give
“We are doing everything we can to have a fairly normal Christmas,” Skien Township Communications Director Anne Spånem tells Dagbladet.
Hard message
– It is clear that it is a hard message. But if you want as normal a Christmas as possible, now is the time to push yourself, Spånem continues.
With ten days until Christmas, becoming infected or being defined as close contact could, in the worst case, lead to a Christmas celebration in quarantine or isolation.
As of Monday, all schools in Skien Township were placed on the red tier. On Monday afternoon, the presidency also held a special meeting to discuss other measures to halt development. Here, according to the municipality, it was decided to introduce various infection control measures from today until 12.23.
- Mandate on the use of the nozzle in public places where it is not possible to maintain a distance of one meter. This includes, among other things, taxis and shopping centers.
- Numerical restrictions in stores and shopping centers.
- The maximum capacity for indoor public events without fixed seating is reduced to 20.
- Private meetings can be held in a public place with a maximum of ten people.
On Sunday, the Skien hospital had nine patients hospitalized with the coronavirus. The director of the hospital, Tom Helge Rønning, explained to Telemarksavisa that there has been an increase in income in recent days.
– There is no indication that the infection is flattening out, on the contrary, he tells the newspaper.
– I didn’t lose control
Although the number of infections in the municipality has increased dramatically recently, Spånem emphasizes that extensive testing and infection monitoring has led to more cases being discovered, and infection often occurs with already known close contacts.
Amazing corona effect
In the municipality of 55,000 residents, 2,300 were tested last week, up from 1,440 the week before.
– We will probably discover more infections, and this is part of the explanation for the increase in infection rates. Few also have an unknown transmission path, so we have not lost control. But it is clear that there has been high infection pressure both before and during the weekend, so this must be taken seriously, Spånem tells Dagbladet.
Worried about christmas
Much of the infection in the municipality has been detected in schools.
In general, he believes that those infected in Skien municipality reflect the national trend about who is most infected. It also emphasizes that Skien municipality interacts well with neighboring municipalities and that Porsgrunn also introduced a red tier in schools as of today.
– Are you worried that the situation in the municipality will get worse as a result of the Christmas holidays?
– Like everyone else, we are naturally worried about it. It can be a flourishing infection and therefore it is important that we be very careful, also during Christmas, says Spånem.
Alert the same action
– People in Skien and the municipality of Porsgrunn are close to each other. We work and go to school in all areas, and we have a good collaboration, says Robin Kåss, mayor of the municipality of Porsgrunn, to Dagbladet.
For this reason, Kåss believes that his municipality will be affected by the recent outbreak in Skien and warns that Porsgrunn will introduce the same measures that the neighboring municipality is planning.
While Skien held a presidency meeting on the infection situation at 14, Porsgrunn will do the same on Monday 18.
Provides quarantine cuts
– We will discuss more infection control measures and see what they introduce into Skien. We will probably do the same, says the mayor.
Since before, Porsgrunn has introduced a red level in primary schools, which means that pupils are divided into smaller groups and some have classes at home. Otherwise, they have recommendations on the use of home offices, masks, unnecessary use of public transport and stops in sports in general for adults.
Since December 9, 10 people have been diagnosed with corona infection in Porsgrunn. A total of 128 people have tested positive in the municipality.
– I am concerned that the pressure of infection in Norway will increase when people return home after their holidays abroad. My Christmas wish is for Norway to introduce mandatory border testing and strict quarantine measures, to prevent a third wave, Kåss tells Dagbladet.
