There may be new measures for children and young people – NRK Norway – Summary of news from different parts of the country

Deputy Health Director Espen Nakstad from the Norwegian Health Directorate says new corona measures and guidelines will likely be introduced in schools and kindergartens starting next week.

– At least we can wait for an answer if the R number doesn’t go down. We can’t stand if the number is high for many days in a row, Nakstad tells NRK Helgemorgen on P2.

It is the new mutations of the virus that increase infection rates, according to Nakstad. This is also the reason why the measures may be stricter for children and young people.

Will refine tips

– We can hope that we will focus on the advice and guidelines when it comes to schools, how we can strengthen infection control in children so that we do not have outbreaks in kindergartens and schools. And it can keep educational institutions more open, says Nakstad.

Nakstad says that the Norwegian Directorate of Health, together with the NIPH and the Norwegian Directorate of Education, is reviewing the entire traffic light model.

– I think we will adjust the content of the yellow and red levels first, to better suit more infectious virus variants, says Nakstad.

He points out that today there is a big difference between the yellow level and the red level in infection control guides that schools and kindergartens relate to.

– Basically it is the distance between students, more frequent tests, more division into groups, hygiene measures, better ventilation, and other adjustments that can be made to strengthen infection control. Like bandages in certain situations, says Nakstad on how supervisors can be changed.

May recommend face masks in certain situations.

– Why better ventilation?

– This is because newer variants of the virus are more contagious in all age groups and spread more easily indoors. Therefore, crowded classrooms with poor ventilation and ventilation are one of the most contagious places you can be, if one of the students spreads the virus, says Nakstad.

He says that next week there will be several other measures that will be reviewed to focus efforts where there is infection.

– Not just with the testing and infection tracking we’re used to. But, in fact, it reduces person-to-person contact in an outbreak area very quickly and in a coordinated way between municipalities. This is something we are looking for to make the total effort more effective, says Nakstad.

In a press release on Friday, the government stated that it has asked the Norwegian Directorate of Health, the Norwegian Directorate of Education and the NIPH to review infection control guidelines for schools and kindergartens.

“Orange level” at the Oslo school

– We have received many suggestions from kindergartens and schools who want an update of the guides after the new virus variants have arrived. We also see that the way schools comply with the measures varies greatly. There is therefore reason to consider in more detail how the yellow and red levels should be practiced, said Education Minister Guri Melby.

Earlier this week, the Oslo school launched the “orange level” in the capital’s primary schools and kindergartens.

This, in addition to the other colors of the traffic lights, the children and young people of Oslo have been linked to almost a year of pandemic.

School councilor Inga Marte Thorkildsen told NRK that Oslo did not have time to wait for adjustments to the so-called traffic light model, which health authorities have also previously announced will be tightened.

– The challenge with the yellow level is that there really isn’t much more than the green level with extra handwashing and Antibac and cleaning. Students get together to an excessive degree in all classes and have too many close contacts for a week, Thorkildsen said.