These municipalities will tighten

Lillehammer, Trondheim, Moss and Skien are in the midst of ongoing crown buds with a large increase in infection. With Christmas just around the corner, the risk of new infections accompanying visitors on Christmas visits now increases.

I hope there is plenty

Skien Township Mayor Hedda Foss Five is concerned the Township will have a new infection boom this Christmas.

– We are very worried. We saw there was a violent explosion in infection in the US after Thanksgiving, and we fear the same trends here as people gather socially and return home for Christmas from places with even higher infection pressure. says Foss Five to Dagbladet.

At a meeting of the presidency on Monday, several new municipal regulations were introduced.

– The most important of these was the requirement for face masks in all public places. “It is in the hope of saving the family Christmas that we have strengthened,” says the mayor.

Strong increase in infection in Skien: – Hard message

Considering stricter measures

So far in December, 130 people have been diagnosed with the infection in the municipality. For all of November, there were 120, which was again double the number in October, according to the mayor.

– We must reverse this trend. It is not explosive, but increases slightly. He’s slowly going the wrong way, he says.

That people follow the infection control rules is very important now, emphasizes Foss Five.

“We are very afraid that there is a lot of private infection, because it can make it critical for the health service and the hospital,” he explains.

– Do you recommend that those who are going to enter test themselves first?

– Yes, it would have been a blessing if they had. Both for them and for us we must make sure that not everything is overloaded. It had been a nice gesture.

– What do you think of the national councils for Christmas? Are they solid / sufficient?

– We’re not sure they’ll be enough in Skien right now. We are watching, and if infection rates increase around Christmas, we may have to introduce new rules, also in private. We have notified the presidency that we are considering this.

– What rules will apply then?

– Then it will not be the extra ten who come to visit us.

The Sarpsborg municipality also informs Dagbladet that the municipality will have stricter measures than the national ones also at Christmas. What will apply will be clear on Wednesday. Moss Township also currently has regulation that is stricter than the rules that apply nationally and will consider continuation.

– No less contagious

Robin Kåss, Mayor of Porsgrunn Municipality, is aware of the risk of infection during Christmas visits.

– Our experience is that much of the infection occurs internally in a home, and we will leave with additional information on this. We hope people don’t use leeway on how many people can come together as a whole, he says.

– What do you think of the national councils for Christmas?

– The virus does not care about the intention to be together, be it Christmas or birthdays. The fact that some loosening of the restrictions has been signaled this Christmas is a good idea, but it can be interpreted a bit as that the virus is less contagious now, and it is not. So I think it would be unwise to have our own national councils for Christmas. At the same time, I understand the government well and that they want to be complacent.

WHO: Wear a mask with the family at Christmas

– High infection pressure

In December, Trondheim had two major outbreaks, which have been attributed to two different environments. These have spread even further, says Harry Tiller, communications manager in Trondheim Township.

– Now we have a great infection pressure, he tells Dagbladet.

On December 12, 30 new cases of infection were registered in Trondheim. This Christmas, Trondheim awaits the visit of other municipalities and foreign students.

– You are worried?

– Yes, and we work closely with NTNU to provide enough information to the population and ensure good capacity for hotels and quarantine testing. In this regard, we have asked for an additional limitation of close contacts per week to only ten people.

The municipality has also introduced mandates for indoor face masks in public places. When asked if residents can expect more action before Christmas, Tiller responds that this is continually being considered, but that national recommendations are currently sufficient.

Here you have to put on a mask

– He’s prepared

On December 9, Lillehammer suffered a major outbreak. Since then, another 87 have been diagnosed with contagion in the municipality. A total of 207 people in Lillehammer tested positive for COVID-19.

– We have had a great capacity for analysis and monitoring, and we have an overview of the situation, says Morten Bergkåsa, municipal chief doctor in Lillehammer.

– Although it was a big outbreak, it was limited to a defined environment. We have not detected infection elsewhere, but there is a high risk of spread. The outbreak has had major consequences for the local community, with more than 1,000 people in quarantine, he explains.

On December 14, the municipality introduced various local measures, and whether the municipality will introduce further restrictions before Christmas depends on how the situation develops.

– If we lose control, we will consider measures that limit social mobility related to the size of the groups and the arrogant, says the municipal chief.

Call the local authority for decision making

The speaker in Tromsø, Gunnar Wilhelmsen, is also worried about Christmas.

– Of course we are. There are more people coming from areas with more infections than we have here. So it is important that they follow the Tromsø rules. Our biggest success factor has been the effort of citizens and adherence to distance and other rules, he tells Dagbladet.

The municipality also has a local council that must conduct a test after day five if it has reason to suspect that you may have been infected.

Wilhelmsen would like the government to give more decision-making authority to local authorities.

– There is a difference in the pressure of the infection, but we still cannot give more flexible rules regarding the restaurant, service and tourism industry. Erna Solberg must understand that the invitation to stay home costs money. This is usually the peak season for Northern Lights tourism here, but this is clearly not the case with the stay-at-home call.