The government is tightening – these are the new measures – VG

– Now the infection is increasing among the oldest. This means that we see more people end up in the hospital and become seriously ill. We also fear that we will see more deaths, says Erna Solberg during today’s press conference.

To stop the increase and ensure the Christmas celebration, the government is now introducing new measures.

These measures take effect at midnight, the night before Wednesday, October 28:

• In private homes, you should not have more than 5 guests in addition to the household members. If all the guests are from the same household, there may be several. This means that two families can meet even if they have many children.
• Everyone should be with fewer people in a week.
• From 200 to 50 at private events outside the home.
• Today’s access to have 600 people present at outdoor events is limited to events where everyone in the audience sits in fixed seats.

The measures are trying to target places where we now know infection occurs. They will last until the beginning of December.

– At that time, I hope the infection subsides so that we can celebrate Christmas as we usually do, says the Prime Minister.

The restriction that you must have no more than 5 guests does not apply to the kindergarten or elementary school cohorts. Children and youth who are in the same cohort in kindergarten or elementary school are exempt from the distance requirement for events.

– We hope to have a contagious situation that allows us to return to greater freedom, so that we can have Christmas and New Years more similar to what we are used to, says the Prime Minister.

The government is also tightening quarantine rules:

• Foreign workers from what the EU calls red countries will no longer be exempt from the quarantine obligation. Therefore, they cannot start work until the 10-day quarantine period has been completed.

Other workers can still be quarantined. But here the rules are also tightened:

• Employees who have the leisure quarantine must take the test every three days and be housed in private rooms for the first ten days in the country. It is also clarified that the employer must facilitate the distance with others when one is in quarantine for leisure. This change will take effect at midnight on Wednesday, October 28. The changes are not retroactive.

The EU defines red countries as countries with more than 150 infected per 100,000 during 14 days.

The rules for foreign workers apply from night to Saturday.

The government has no plans for special compensation schemes for companies related to quarantine changes.

– The new measures that one must be tested for three days and that those in the reddest countries must take the entire quarantine meant that companies must see if the rotation can be changed to be longer in Norway and more at home, he says the first Minister.

– The meter is too short, the clamps are too many, it is too close. We strive to make it easier for those who need to trace close contacts fast enough to stop the infection. It’s hard work, many are tired, says Solberg.

– Are not all these tips and measures difficult for people?

– It can be a bit complicated in some situations, but at the same time I think it is not that difficult. Remember only five, and not five new ones every day.

As in much of Europe, the trend for infection in Norway is increasing. Infection rates have doubled in a week. On Monday, 202 new infections were registered in the country and 32 municipalities have a growing trend of infection.

Outbreaks appearing across the country

– Those who live in places with little infection may think that this will be very strict. I would say to you that more contagion in society increases contagion throughout the country. We have had outbreaks across the country, says the Prime Minister.

– Is it a bit of an exaggeration to tell the uncrowned municipalities that they are not allowed to meet?

– What I have tried to emphasize is that in autumn we have had 150 different local lights, it can reach your municipality anywhere. What we are trying to protect now is that when the infection comes, there are three and not 25 infected. So you should have as your national guide that fewer people know each other, says Solberg.

It is especially among young adults that we see an increase in corona infection. Education Minister Guri Melby says they must follow the same rules as adults about how many people can be.

– We know that there are many young people who meet many in the course of a day and if you get sick there is therefore a great risk that you have infected many others. Therefore, it is important that they follow the general rules of infection.

Children can keep company with the cohort

This week is Halloween, a popular event for children that the government wants to facilitate:

– Children who go to primary school or kindergarten should be able to have a birthday or a Halloween party with friends who are already a lot, says Minister of Education and Integration Guri Melby.

However, he stressed that parents should check local infection control rules before inviting children to a party.

There are no exceptions for pupils and young adults who attend high school and high school, or who are students.

– It is very important that young people also comply with the basic rules of infection control, says Melby, adding that the goal is to be able to relax the measures for Christmas.

– We hope that all children can give a hug to grandmother and grandfather at Christmas, said the Minister of Education.

The municipality of Oslo has already introduced a series of strict infection control measures in an attempt to prevent the spread of the infection in the capital.

Among other things, there is an order for the use of masks indoors in public places, such as shops and restaurants, and for stopping entry to nightclubs after 10 p.m.

– Now it is advisable to have a maximum of five guests in private, in Oslo there are bandages in various places, everyone says to use your head. Is it getting too difficult for people?

– I understand that many may find it difficult with national and local councils, but they are well connected, says Health Minister Bent Høie to VG.

In Oslo, there are now stricter rules regarding the use of bandages:

• Mandatory for indoor masks in public places (shops, shopping centers) where you cannot keep at least 1 meter away.
• Mandatory for bandages inside restaurants for employees and guests in all situations where you do not sit at a table.

– What do you do if you see someone who is not wearing a mask, but is closer than one meter?

– It is good to say that people should wear masks if they are within a meter. Wear your smile and say it in a nice way, says the Minister of Health.