These are the new measures against coronary heart disease

On Monday afternoon, the government introduced new national measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus. – We must do more to control the infection in the country, said Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

The government is tightening national measures until December. In addition, it is open for municipalities to introduce stricter measures, if necessary.

These are the new national measures:

• It is recommended that there be no more than five guests in private homes. This does not include household members. If all the guests are from the same household, there may be several.
• It is recommended to reduce the number of private contacts by one week.
• The maximum number of participants in events is reduced from 200 to 50.
• Workers from other countries going to work in Norway must test negative every three days to avoid quarantine.
• Workers from countries defined by the EU as red (more than 150 cases of infection per 100,000 inhabitants) must be quarantined for ten days when entering Norway.
• Highly infected municipalities will have the opportunity to introduce even stricter rules than those applied at the national level.

Infection is increasing among the elderly

The new national measures take effect from midnight until Wednesday, October 28.

The exception is the new quarantine provisions, which only go into effect from midnight on Saturday, October 31.

– Now the infection is increasing among the oldest. This means that we now see more people ending up in hospital and getting sick, Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) said at the government press conference on Monday.

He fears that there may be more deaths as a result of this. But, by pressing now, the population can celebrate Christmas more or less normally.

– We must do more to control the infection in the country. There is a risk that the numbers will increase in the future, as we have seen in other countries in Europe, said the Prime Minister.

Tightening of measures in Oslo

Local measures may be more stringent than national measures introduced on Monday.

The government’s new infection control measures comes only a few hours after Councilor Raymond Johansen reinforced several of the measures in Oslo:

• Indoor nozzles are now required in public places, such as stores and shopping malls, where a distance of one meter cannot be maintained.
• Guests and staff must wear face masks indoors in dining areas where they are not seated at a table.
• The maximum limit on the number of people that can gather at indoor events is lowered from 50 to 20 where there are no seats.
• It is forbidden to let new guests into the restaurants after 10pm.
• The number of contacts during a week should not exceed 10 people in social contexts, in addition to household members, co-workers, and kindergarten and school cohorts.
• Universities are encouraged to introduce digital teaching whenever possible.
• Home office order and requirement that all employers must document that employees have been advised that they must have a home office to the extent possible.

Read more about the measures and infection situation in Oslo here.

Supports advice on reducing the number of contacts.

On the streets of Oslo, people are optimistic about the new call to reduce the number of social contacts.

– It will be difficult for everyone to comply. But I support it. I think it’s good, says Niclas Skarström to Aftenposten.

– If the infection takes off, there is a limit where we lose control. As I see it, we must be safe and have margins.

– Are you going to start telling who you know?

– Yes of course.

One who already has a good experience is nurse Stine Emilie Fossum.

She has written and kept a record of who she has encountered during most of the pandemic. It is out of the question for patients at work.

– I write down the ones I know and where I have been, on a small to-do list, he says.

– It’s been very neat, although I don’t have an overview of who people I know associate with.

– Do you have any advice for people who haven’t done it before?

– Make a list. Write notes on your phone. Write in a book, if it’s easier for someone. Everyone notices one way or another, says Fossum.

New councils to municipalities

The Minister for Children and Families, Kjell Ingolf Ropstad (KrF), addressed the situation in the municipalities.

– Children and young people who need help are affected if the activities disappear. That is why we are now taking some specific austerity measures, in order to keep important venues like schools, kindergartens and aid services open, Ropstad said.

A list of recommended actions for municipalities severely affected by the infection has been updated based on new knowledge of local outbreaks.

– Municipalities now have new tools in the toolbox to reduce infection locally, Ropstad said.

In this way, it will be easier to enter local recommendations and rules if necessary. Municipalities can, among other things, introduce rules for the maximum number of people in private meetings.

The Minister for Children and Families was also concerned that many people felt lonely. The pandemic makes socialization difficult.

– Even if we have to keep our distance, we can still show closeness, said Ropstad.

Encourage people to think of those who are alone.

Exceptions for children

Education Minister Guri Melby stressed that children and young people should be protected from the measures to the extent possible.

Unlike adults, children will be able to celebrate birthdays and Halloween with their cohort this fall.

– This is in line with professional recommendations. To the best of our knowledge, we don’t have to be as strict with youngsters as we are with adults, Melby said.

He stressed the importance of youth and young adults upholding basic infection control rules.

– I know that we have already asked you a lot, and that now we are asking you even more. This is to reduce infection. Unfortunately, the current situation requires all of us to be more careful, the minister said.

At the same time, he recalled that almost 1 in 3 students feels lonely. Therefore, he encouraged finding ways to be together, while complying with infection control rules.