Assistant health director Espen Rostrup Nakstad tells Dagbladet TV that both the Norwegian Directorate of Health and the National Institute of Public Health are continuously looking at what measures should be put in place in Norway to limit the spread of infection.
At present, it is the municipalities themselves who decide whether local measures should be introduced to limit the trend of infection.
– We have previously sent letters to municipalities with a rising trend of infection to introduce the use of face masks where there is congestion and home office. We have asked the municipalities to consider introducing these measures. Some municipalities have recommended this to their population, while others have not, Nakstad tells Dagbladet.
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He says that the health authorities are constantly considering which measures can be optimized:
– We are constantly assessing which measures can be optimized. We depend on people staying home when they are ill, and that as many as possible can be vaccinated, says the assistant health director.
GET BETTER: Assistant health director Espen Rostrup Nakstad says that the population must become better at complying with the corona measures. Photo: Ali Zare / NTB
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– Not the same effect
In several countries in Europe, the infection has increased significantly, and in Austria on Monday the authorities will introduce a national shutdown for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
Nakstad believes that the infection situation in Austria is still significantly higher than in Norway, so according to him, it will not be relevant for Norway to introduce equally intrusive measures at present. Nevertheless, he points out that Norway can also get an increased infection in society, if you do not reverse the infection trend.
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– Austria has three to four times higher infection pressure per 100,000 inhabitants than we have in Norway now. We also have a rising infection trend, but we are still far from the situation in Austria. But the arrow is pointing upwards, so it looks like we can catch up if we do not reverse the infection trend, he says.
Nakstad points out, however, that a large part of the population has been vaccinated, so according to him a national shutdown in Norway will not have a major effect in slowing down the infection.
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– Most of the adult population has immunity through vaccination or undergone coronary heart disease, so broad closure measures will not have the same effect as it had last year. It will also have a lot of consequences that are not very proportionate, he says.
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– Must get better
The government has also opened up for municipalities to use corona passports.
– Coronapass is a measure that the municipalities can use to ensure that activities can be carried out in a safer way and to prevent other, stricter measures, Nakstad explains.
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He points out that we must become better at complying with the measures we already have.
According to a survey from the Norwegian Directorate of Health, only four out of ten do not stay at home when they are ill. Nakstad emphasizes that more people are willing to make an effort and follow the infection control councils now, something they have not done in recent months.
– It is important that people follow the measures that are introduced locally in the municipalities. We have seen that compliance with the measures is not good enough, says Nakstad.
– Capacity can be challenged
Throughout the Christmas table season, Nakstad says that the organizers must give a clear message that if you are ill, you must stay at home.
– When it comes to Christmas dinners, there can be large or small gatherings, and you are often with those you otherwise work with. The most important thing, not least for those who are unvaccinated, is to make sure you are healthy when you go there.
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