Last week, for the first time in seven weeks, an increase in the number of new infections was registered. Especially among adolescents and young adults, the infection has exploded.
– The increase we are seeing now is due to local outbreaks in several places in the country. It is especially among young people, often Russians, that the infection increases, says chief physician Preben Aavitsland in FHI.
In the age group 13-19 years, the number of reported cases has increased by as much as 57 per cent in week 18.
Aavitsland fears that the infection will rise further after the long weekend.
– We are of course a little worried that the coming weekend will lead to a boom in several places, says Aavitsland.
– SUPERVISOR: Preben Aavitsland at the National Institute of Public Health. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder / NTB scanpix Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder
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The infection increases in four places
In FHI’s weekly report for week 18, it appears that the infection is increasing in four counties; Agder, Vestland, Rogaland and Vestfold and Telemark.
The increase in infection is linked in several places to outbreaks among Russians. In Horten, around 20 Russians have tested positive after two buses met on Friday 7 May.
– We encourage everyone, but especially the Russians, to take infection control seriously this weekend, says Aavitsland.
Although the infection has increased significantly in several places in the country, Aavitsland believes that this can quickly turn around.
– We have seen that municipalities that experience outbreaks often manage to gain control of the situation within three to six weeks. So we expect that both Skien, Porsgrunn, Stavanger, Bergen and Ålesund will be able to reverse the development and return to a low level, says Aavitsland.
Raging against the proposal
In the government’s updated vaccine strategy, young adults between 18 and 24 will receive the coronary vaccine earlier than was the original plan.
In addition, the government is considering making an even more skewed geographical distribution. They open to give 60 percent more vaccines to 24 selected eastern municipalities.
This means that 319 Norwegian municipalities may have to give up vaccine doses.
– I think this is completely unreasonable, says Tønsberg mayor Anne Rygh Pedersen (Labor) to TV 2.
– REFUSAL: The mayor of Tønsberg will refuse to give doses to other municipalities. Photo: Fredrik Hagen / NTB
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Several mayors reacted strongly to the government’s proposal.
– I do not want to pit groups against each other, but when it comes to older people with underlying disease, it is more important than young russ in Eastern Norway, says Ålesund mayor Eva Vinje Aurdal (Labor).
– More dangerous in Oslo
NIPH wanted to go even further than what the government proposed. They recommended that the 24 selected municipalities should receive 80 percent more doses than they would otherwise receive.
– The basis for our proposal is that some municipalities in central Eastern Norway have had high measures for a long time. In addition, they have had very strict measures, much stricter than what applies in the rest of the country, says Aavitsland.
He therefore believes that increased vaccine delivery can reduce the infection and prevent serious illness.
– It is more dangerous to be a 60-year-old in Oslo than to be a 60-year-old in Tydalen in Trøndelag. This is simply because there is a much greater risk of becoming infected in Oslo. We must also take this into account when we distribute vaccines, says Aavitsland.
The vaccine rate is increasing
In the coming months, the vaccination will be stepped up sharply throughout the country.
– We will be able to vaccinate very many. Between now and August, we will put almost 6 million doses, says Aavitsland.
It will still take a few more weeks before the vaccine pace really picks up speed.
– Now in May it is a bit slow because there are many who will get their second dose. But from week 22 there will be a lot of new vaccinations. Then we will move quickly down the age groups, says Aavitsland.
He believes that everyone over the age of 18 has been offered the first dose during July.
– It can probably be a fairly normal summer. But an important consideration for us is that school starts in the autumn will be as normal as possible, says Aavitsland.
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