Infection numbers are increasing
Norway lifts all corona measures
2/12/2022, 5:19 p.m
–
“Now we can go out among the people like we used to,” says Norwegian Prime Minister Store when he announces the end of the last restrictions. Norway is thus taking the same path as Denmark and Sweden. However, the number of corona patients in hospitals is increasing.
Despite the increasing number of corona infections, Norway has also lifted the last pandemic protection measures. Both distance rules and the obligation to wear masks in crowded rooms have ended, said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at a press conference. “Now we can socialize like we used to, in nightlife, at cultural events or other social occasions,” said Gahr Store. Also on the “way to work in buses, trains and ferries” there are no longer any special regulations. All entry requirements will also be lifted.
As a symbol of the lifting of the mask requirement, he put his mouth and nose protection in the inside pocket of his jacket. The pandemic no longer poses a major health risk to most people, said Gahr Store. The omicron variant of the coronavirus causes a milder course of the disease, and the vaccinations provided good protection.
Anyone who tests positive for the corona virus in Norway no longer has to isolate themselves for four days. Children with corona symptoms no longer have to be tested for the virus. But the pandemic is not over, emphasized Gahr Store. He recommended that unvaccinated and high-risk patients continue to keep their distance from their fellow human beings and wear masks if necessary.
Norway had already lifted most of the measures earlier this month, including home office rules and maximum attendance limits at events. In addition, the restrictions on the serving of alcoholic beverages as well as sports and other leisure activities were abolished. In countries like Denmark, Ireland and Sweden, almost all corona protection measures have already been lifted.
Hospital admissions are increasing
The comprehensive easing took place despite the continued increase in the number of corona cases in Norway. According to the Institute for Public Safety (FHI), the peak of the current omicron wave is yet to come. In the past week, the number of hospital admissions related to the coronavirus has increased by 40 percent, according to FHI chief Camilla Stoltenberg.
By Friday, almost 987,000 cases of corona infection had been detected in Norway, and 1,440 people had died in connection with Covid-19 since the pandemic began. More than 91 percent of people in Norway are at least twice vaccinated against the corona virus.
–
