– The situation is still serious. Further strict measures have been introduced this week, I hope that we can see results when it comes to a decrease in infection, says Minister of Health Bent Høie (H) to Dagbladet after Friday’s infection record in Oslo.
A record 241 cases of infection were registered in the capital on Friday, which is an increase of 52 cases from the day before. The average in the last week has been 193 infected per day.
Høie draws parallels between the infection situation in Oslo and other large cities in Europe, where large outbreaks of infection nationally are driven by outbreaks in the large cities.
– Once the infection has taken hold, it requires a lot to reverse the development, says Høie.
The Oslo school is not a sect
Hospital admissions are increasing
Health Councilor Robert Steen (Labor Party) believes that the high infection rates underline the seriousness of the people of Oslo.
– That the infection rates continue to increase and not flatten out, worries me, but I think perhaps the most serious is that the number of hospital admissions increases so much, Steen writes in an e-mail to Dagbladet.
On Friday, there were 65 corona infected hospitalized in Oslo.
Hoping for results
Bent Høie says that it is not relevant to tighten the measures in Oslo on the basis of Friday’s infection figures.
He still hopes to see results from the tightening on November 17, when the city council introduced the red level in secondary schools and full-time indoor leisure activities for young people over 13 years.
– It usually takes up to two weeks before you see results on the infection rate, and then it takes a little more time before you get a decrease, he says.
Høie believes, however, that there are signs that the growth in infection is not as strong as before.
Here are the changes for the cultural sector
Desired early effect
Oslo City Council introduced intrusive measures and social closure on 10 November. Among other things, the city council closed all gyms, cinemas, theaters, playgrounds and the like. In addition, a full liquor ban, a ban on indoor events and a stop in grassroots sports for adults were introduced.
Health councilor Robert Steen says that the city council monitors the infection situation in Oslo.
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– It will take more time before the social closure of Oslo has an effect on infection rates, even though we would have liked to see an early effect, the latest measures have not worked long enough for us to see the effect yet, Steen says.
However, Steen admits that he had hoped for a flattening of the infection curve towards the end of this week.
– I look with concern at today’s infection rates, I would like to see it lower. We can not shrug our shoulders. But we see a lower increase in infection rates than the short-term forecast FHI published on 10.11.
The fees will increase
– Now we wait a few more days to see if we can get the desired effect, which is a decrease in infection rates, beyond next week. And then we get to come back with a new assessment.
In the last 14 days, 1416 new infections have been registered in Oslo.
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