On Tuesday, 1,796 new cases of infection were registered in Norway, which is the highest number of new cases of infection that have ever been registered in the country. Minister of Health Bent Høie tells Dagbladet that there are too many who are infected now.
– There are too many who are infected for too short a time now. Therefore, it is important that we in collaboration with the municipalities get better control of the infection development, says Høie to Dagbladet.
– What do you mean?
– By that I mean that together we must review the measures that apply nationally and work for better compliance with them. We must also cooperate with the municipalities to ensure that good local measures are used where there are large outbreaks of infection. One can use testing and infection tracking where there are opportunities for it, or introduce new measures such as yellow level in schools if necessary.
– The municipalities have full support from us if it is necessary to introduce new measures.
VACCINATION: Oslo City Councilor Raymond Johansen has no doubt that vaccination is the way out of the pandemic. Video: Dagbladet TV / Signe Elise Sivertsen. Reporter: Amanda Walnum. view more
– No! responds High and laughs. It is not relevant to do now.
– We are in a completely different situation now. A large proportion of the adult population has gradually been fully vaccinated, and those who are vulnerable to the infection are essentially fully vaccinated. It will have major negative consequences for children and young people to close Norway again now. I would like to emphasize that Norway has not reopened yet, and that we have failed to move to step 4 of the reopening plan. We still have national councils and rules, and it is important to increase compliance with measures such as keeping your distance and staying at home if you are ill.
HIGH INFECTION: Assistant health director Espen Rostrup Nakstad talks about the high level of infection in the country. Video: Dagbladet TV view more
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Corona in schools
Utdanningsforbundet and the trade union has warned of rescuing employees and students at the schools and partly chaotic conditions. Høie says that the government is aware of the situation in the schools.
– We are aware of that situation, and this is not a situation we want to be in. Therefore, it is important for us to help the municipalities get control of the situations, as well as to work with them to spread information that covid -19 does not pose a major health risk to children and young people.
– Very strict national measures, such as the yellow level of measures in schools nationally, would have affected many children and young people. This is because infection control measures that limit children and young people’s school and leisure time have major negative consequences for health and education. Therefore, we believe that it is right not to tighten again for children and young people’s sports, cultural and activity offers, but then the assessments in the individual municipality may be different.
WORRIED: Assistant health director Espen Rostrup Nakstad says the infection trend is rising and that there may be more admissions in the future. Video: Dagbladet TV / Malin Ridder Nielsen Janssen. Reporter: Frode Andresen. view more
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Crisis figures
Last week, less than 500,000 vaccine doses were given in Norway, despite the fact that more than one million vaccine doses were to be sent out.
– Last week, more vaccine doses were given in Norway than ever before. It is true that we had sent out several, and many of them will be sent out this week, at the same time as we will send out many new vaccine doses this week. I experience that the pace of vaccination increases significantly in the municipalities, says Høie.
– At the same time, it is very important that everyone who is offered to speed up other vaccine doses accepts the offer. We receive feedback from municipalities that some who have been offered a second dose retain the original vaccine agreement. It is not wise, because it is only when you are fully vaccinated that you are well protected against being infected and infecting others. We are dependent on a larger proportion of the adult population being fully vaccinated before we can move on to a normal everyday life. It is also important that more people are fully vaccinated now that we have increased infection in society.
– How are the assessments regarding vaccination of 12- to 15-year-olds?
– That decision will be made in good time before it becomes relevant to initiate vaccination of the relevant age group. Now we will start vaccinating 16- and 17-year-olds.
