The director of infection control in Oslo wanted a bandage order; the city council said no – VG

Last Sunday, bus drivers from Oslo and Viken went on strike. The next day, Monday, September 21, the Oslo City Council introduced new and stricter measures for the capital.

One of the measures was a “strong recommendation to wear masks in public transport.” In a press release on Friday, the city council announced that even stricter measures are being considered next week, including an order for a bandage.

Documents that VG has been given access to show, however, that infection control chief Frode Hagen already wanted an order for a bandage.

In a note sent to City Hall on September 21, Hagen notes that the bus strike will likely cause further congestion on other public transport.

“For public transport within the municipality of Oslo, we recommend that the wearing of a mask be mandatory in the first instance for the duration of the bus drivers’ strike. The strike will likely lead to a higher density of other public transport, “Hagen writes.

But there was no court order.

– It would have been intrusive

VG has asked the city council why they did not follow the advice of the infection control doctor.

Councilor Raymond Johansen (Labor Party) says they found this to be intrusive and want to avoid orders and bans where possible.

Instead, the City Council advocated other measures that it believes have already taken effect. The city council leader says the strong and expanding spokesperson recommendation appears to have had an effect.

– A court order will be a very intrusive measure, and it will be important that we then have good instruments to ensure that the court order is complied with. Implementing orders or prohibitions that are not followed is regrettable, so the threshold for such measures is high, writes Councilor Johansen in an email to VG.

Regardless, you should consider court injunctions

Raymond Johansen emphasizes that the city council is considering imposing more bandages during the fall break.

– We continually evaluate whether it is necessary to impose a bandage on public transport, among other things based on professional recommendations. But it is also important to note that professional recommendations vary, are not ambiguous, and there are arguments from different professional fields that municipalities must weigh against each other, he says.

You want more with a mask

The fact that the city council landed on a “strong recommendation” rather than a court order, infection control chief Frode Hagen, does not have strong contradictions.

– The main objective is that more people wear masks when it is close to public transport, and if you can do it with the strong measures that there are now, then it is not a point to have a court order in itself, write in an SMS to VG.

– Why then did you recommend precautionary measures?

– To increase the proportion of people who wear masks, writes Hagen.

Documents VG has had access to show that Line Vold in the outbreak group at the National Institute of Public Health also did not recommend precautionary measures in Oslo. In a list of measures that can be considered in Oslo, only one recommendation on the use of face masks is mentioned in situations where distance cannot be maintained.

Growing infection

The infection rate in Oslo has increased from 115 at week 36 to 209 at week 37 and 310 at week 38.

The first four days of this week show an average of 49 infected per day. If this trend continues, week 39 will end with around 340 new infected, estimates the municipality.

The infection overview by municipality districts now shows that all city districts would have been “red”, if the infection pressure had been assessed as it is done with countries and regions abroad.