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INDICATORS: Erna Solberg sees no reason to consider further relief next week, following the Storting’s decision to allow alcohol with food in low-infection municipalities. Photo: TORE KRISTIANSEN
After the Storting ordered the government to open up to serve some alcohol, Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) responds by canceling the relief assessment announced next week in the crown measures.
– Our priority was health first, children and young people, and then employment, Solberg tells VG.
– We thought you had to wait with vacancies in restaurants because we open much more. In our priority, the children and young people were older, and the social isolation that we created by not being able to have guests, he adds.
But then all the opposition parties went and voted through a decision in the Storting on Tuesday, to allow alcohol service in municipalities with low infection.
The government responded by lifting the national alcohol ban, which has been in effect for two weeks.
After the publication of this article, the Prime Minister’s office clarifies to VG that the liquor ban would only be considered next week. They now believe that an evaluation has been done. By the Storting.
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There will be no evaluation
On the question of VG if it will be important for the evaluation of measures next week. Erna Solberg now responds:
– I don’t see any reason to consider relief next week, says the Prime Minister.
– The Storting has carried out this assessment. It should be 10 to 14 days before we see the effect of the measurements, he adds.
Health Minister Bent Høie (H) responded to the Storting’s decision on Tuesday night by lifting the national ban on drinking alcohol.
Increased spread of infection
– In your opinion, could the Storting’s decision lead to an increase in infection?
– Everything we do can further spread the infection. What we have done can also lead to further spread of the infection. At least the spread of the infection will block everyone inside. From that, anything you do could lead to further spread of the infection, Solberg says.
He refers to a report by the Danish government’s professional reference group, which he also included in the report he presented at the Storting on Monday.
– In the Danish report, they have an infection risk assessment where restaurants are in the middle of the tree and bars and inns are at the bottom, says the prime minister.
Labor leader Jonas Gahr Støre says the Storting’s intention was that municipalities with low infection pressure and infection control could serve alcohol with food.
– I expected the government to support the municipalities to make an evaluation. Now it seems they have given municipalities more challenges than answers, Støre tells VG.
– What made the Labor Party support the proposal, when the government wanted to wait?
– We realized what the National Institute of Public Health meant. and hear that the ban has major consequences for the workplace. And we believe that municipalities can make accurate assessments, says Solberg.
