– People are tired of bandages and corona after living with this filth for 20 months, but I think unfortunately we have no choice but to introduce injunctions even if the city council leader does not want to.
The Conservative Party’s group leader in Oslo, Anne Haabeth Rygg, asks City Councilor Raymond Johansen (Labor Party) to take action and reintroduce orders for face masks.
– If there is one thing people deserve and need now, it is a corona- and restriction-free Christmas. I think we can get that, but then I think we have to put on the bandage again, she says to Dagbladet.
Call in for corona meeting
Infection record
Last week, 3991 new corona infections were registered in Oslo.
The city council leader has come up with a recommendation for bandages on public transport, but he has also asked the people of Oslo to breathe with their stomachs in the face of a new wave of infection.
– I do not want to create unnecessary unrest, and fortunately most people who are infected get mild symptoms, but the virus is not harmless either. I am very worried that the infection in Oslo has risen six weeks in a row and is now at a record high, says Haabeth Rygg.
CONCERNED: Anne Haabeth Rygg is afraid Oslo will have to shut down. Photo: Nicolas Tourrenc
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The Oslo Conservatives are afraid that the City Council’s line will eventually lead to the closure of the city, which is exactly what Raymond Johansen says he wants to avoid.
– Now Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre must cut through and take the lead. Now he must tell the Norwegian people whether we are done with the pandemic or not. It is naive to believe that what is happening elsewhere in Europe can not happen here, she continues.
Big dives
– Not the road
Raymond Johansen answers Dagbladet by pointing out that face masks are not the way out of the infection crisis.
– What is the way out of the pandemic is vaccination, testing and that we stay home when we are sick, and it is absolutely crucial that we prioritize and continue with this, as we do in Oslo. Mouthpiece use is a supplement, and a visible proof that the pandemic is not over. Exactly that can be an argument for an injunction, says Johansen to Dagbladet.
Few wear face masks on public transport in Oslo today.
– If we are to impose bandages in all situations where infection can occur, then it will have consequences for a lot: Workplaces, schools, sports, concerts, theater, cinema and restaurants just to name a few. I do not think that is proportionate now, he adds.
Will remove the holiday money: – Luta lei
Does not reject injunctions – ahead of time
Johansen adds that he is not dismissive of an order for a bandage, but only if the situation makes it necessary. We are not there yet, he explains.
– Now we have come up with a strong recommendation to use face masks on public transport and in shops. It is a low-hanging fruit that I hope people will join. The subways now have a greeting on loudspeakers where it is encouraged to wear a face mask, and we strengthen our communication from the municipality. We have to look at the support over some time and are of course not dismissive of an injunction, if it turns out to be necessary.
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