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The Storting’s constitution and control committee is now sending eight questions to Health Minister Bent Høie (H) on why the industry received broad quarantine exemptions for foreign workers this summer.
– The central question is whether the government ignored the advice of health professionals when the regulations were adopted. If correct, they should have a good answer as to why the advice of health professionals was not followed, committee leader Dag Terje Andersen (Labor) tells VG.
All parts of the committee have endorsed the eight questions to the government.
The background is the revelation in Aftenposten about the dialogue between the ministry and Norwegian industry before the government in June granted foreign workers exemption from the 10-day quarantine this fall.
According to the newspaper, both the Norwegian Health Directorate and the National Institute of Public Health warned that the change would lead to a high risk of import infection.
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You want to know who decided
The Control and Constitution Commission will now have an answer to the health professional justification behind the regulations of June 22 of this year, and who finally made the decision.
The committee will also know if risk assessments were conducted at the Ministry of Health and Care Services on the new two-stage testing regimen and any alternatives, such as a 10-day quarantine.
He had support in the Storting
– During the period of the crown measures, both the opposition and the government parties in the Storting have mainly supported the measures that the government has introduced to protect people’s health. We have done this because we have the impression that they have relied heavily on the advice of health professionals, Dag Terje Andersen tells VG.
He says that what emerged in the Aftenposten disclosure may indicate that the advice of a healthcare professional was not followed this time.
– It is natural for the Storting to check what is correct. That is why we are asking for a response from the government, adds the leader of the committee.
Control measures
Another key question from the Storting is what control measures the government introduced to track how employers handle their obligations under the regulations with organizing, implementing and funding testing as outlined in the regulations.
The committee also wants to know why the rules on the ten-day quarantine exemption for foreign workers were published before they were processed at the NIPH, the Norwegian Health Directorate and the ministry.
The committee wants answers to the questions well in advance of the committee meeting next time, Tuesday, January 12. They also require access to all correspondence with NHO and other organizations and industries of interest.
– This also applies to text messages, says Dag Terje Andersen.
