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WAIT: Raymond Johansen hoped he could deliver good news to the people of Oslo before Christmas, if infection rates dropped significantly. Now he asks people to prepare for a new closing. Photo: Berit Roald
Last week, the city council leader dreamed of making small reliefs in Oslo closer to Christmas. Despite an improvement in the infection situation, Johansen is no longer hopeful.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Erna Solberg presented her own Christmas initiatives for Norwegians.
Then Solberg announced that Norwegians can have up to ten guests for up to two days during Christmas, Christmas and New Years. Otherwise, the Prime Minister has announced that the national measures will last until at least 16 December.
The rules can still be adjusted locally.
On November 26, Councilor Raymond Johansen announced that Oslo, which has had even stricter rules and a social lockdown since the night of November 10, might consider making a little relief in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
The infection figures give reason for cautious optimism, the city council leader said at the time.
Now, however, Johansen tells VG that the facilitation of measures for Oslo by Christmas is still at stake. He encourages people to plan an extension of the measures that we are living with now during Christmas.
– Here are the infection numbers that are the boss, and we are completely dependent on how the infection numbers develop this week to be able to say something about the changes at Christmas for Oslo. But it’s probably better for people to prepare for the social shutdown to continue, rather than the other way around, Johansen told VG on Wednesday.
The city council leader announces a press conference on Wednesday or Thursday of next week with a clarification on Christmas in Oslo.
A continuation of the social lockdown in Oslo means that:
- All indoor events will continue to be prohibited
- Cultural and leisure activities remain closed
- Stores should ensure that it can keep a distance of two meters
- Order of sanitary napkins is expanded
- Broadband sports will continue to be banned
- Full pour stop continues
- Infection levels continue in schools
See more details about the measures, and exceptions, that apply in Oslo its.
DRY CRANES: There doesn’t seem to be a Christmas beer in town for the people of Oslo in December, we must believe Councilor Raymond Johansen. Next week, it will provide clarification on Christmas for the citizens of Oslo, but asks people to prepare for a further closure. Photo: Krister Sørbø
Pouring won’t be a priority first
Last week, Oslo had 142 infected every day, compared to 182 last week.
– It is good and an important message for Oslo, but the level of infection is still too high, says the leader of the city council.
– Exactly as it is now, it is still a serious infection situation, and from what we know now, it is not relevant with massive relief before Christmas, he further notes.
When asked if minor relief from the measures can come before Christmas if infection rates drop, the city council leader hesitates. However, you are aware that it is not the abolition of liquor stops that will be prioritized first, if relief becomes relevant:
– Then there will be measures aimed at children and young people who are first in line then.
– Infection rates can increase
According to FHI, we only managed to capture about half of the actual infection.
Therefore, they have increased and adapted the testing capacity in Oslo to be able to detect more cases of infection, says Johansen.
Now they are focusing on further testing at city walk-in stations, mass testing at schools, and rapid testing. You think this could lead to the number of infections increasing again.
– We now have a testing capacity of 35,000 a week. We should not ignore the fact that infection rates can then increase, says Johansen.
– How little infection do we have to have in Oslo before we can ease the measures?
– We do not have concrete figures, but we should see a fairly marked downward trend. Now it has only just started to flatten out, he responds and adds:
– Now we are in a social closure and we must prepare for it to continue at Christmas.
Johansen believes that many will want to get tested at Christmas to have added assurance that they are not infected.
Although testability is high in Oslo now, Johansen believes it is important that those with symptoms and in the risk group take advantage of the offer:
– Many people want to get insurance before Christmas, but it is important that we follow the guidelines for testing. The tests are for those who have symptoms or are suspected of being infected, says the city council leader.
Here you see an overview on all norms and recommendations in force in Oslo.
The following graph shows infections in Oslo as a percentage from week to week:
