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The result of the social closure in Oslo has paid off.
In the last 24 hours, 37 new cases of infection have been registered in Oslo. That’s 60 less than last week’s average, which was 97 per day.
When the city council introduced the social closure of Oslo five weeks ago, the weekly average was 140 infected per day.
However, the Oslo City Council is not entirely satisfied with the figures.
– Infection rates appear to have stabilized in the last two weeks, but there is currently no apparent decline. I see with concern that the figures continue to vary from day to day. Weekend numbers are typically a bit below weekday infection numbers, so we have to look at the numbers later in the week before we can say anything about a real decline, writes the health advisor Robert Steen (Labor) in an email to TV 2.
Oslo City Health Council Robert Steen says it is too early to say if there is a real decline. Photo: Tom Rune Orset / TV 2
– Cautious optimist
Steen says that the people of Oslo have been good at following the rules.
– I remain cautiously optimistic, but we are closely monitoring the development of the infection. The flattening of the infection numbers shows that we are on the right track, says Steen.
Last week, the municipality of Oslo said that the social closure will last until January 7.
Steen says it is too early to say whether it will be relevant to ease the measures after the mentioned date. He says that the evaluation is made based on the trend in the development of the infection and the forecasts for the development of NIPH.
– We’re not at the finish line. Infection rates are high, and the virus has not died. We know that infection can rise again quickly if they break open, Steen says.
The social closure includes, among other things, stops of bars and gyms, theaters and closed cinemas.
On Thursday, however, it was open for activities in leisure clubs, for Christmas offerings for the underprivileged and for similar services and philosophical gatherings.
These can be removed
Steen says they don’t have a target figure for how many infected people there must be for the measures to be removed, but a group can be prioritized in January.
– It is too early to say which measures will be first and last. When the contagion situation dictates it, we have the desire to facilitate measures aimed at children and young people, he says.
Among other things, it is closed for indoor leisure activities for all those of school age.
The municipality establishes in the regulations that it will prioritize the opening of leisure activities for children and young people up to the age of 19 inclusive as of January 7, 2021.
– Now it is important that we all persevere and give each other low infection rates as a New Year’s gift, says Steen.
FALLER: Espen Rostrup Nakstad says the infection rates are positive. Photo: Frode Sunde / TV 2
Downward trend
Deputy Health Director Espen Rostrup Nakstad says there has been a downward trend in infection in Norway as a whole for two to three weeks.
– But now it does not fall as much in the last week as it has, and is probably due to local outbreaks in several municipalities. And they raise the numbers quite significantly, Nakstad tells TV 2.
He says that the Oslo figures are positive, but that the decline is not that steep.
– But the trend is positive. It’s going in the right direction, even though it’s December and a lot of people are on the move, he says.
– Are you worried about Christmas?
– At Christmas there is much less mobility in the population, it is positive, but people are closer to family and friends. It’s hard to say if it has any effect on the Christmas space itself, Nakstad says.
