New national restrictions in Norway due to the resurgence of the pandemic

Norway will reintroduce restrictions against COVID-19 nationwide due to the strong resurgence of the epidemic, mainly allowing municipalities to use the sanitary pass, the government announced today.

The Scandinavian country, which lifted all restrictive measures in late September, will also offer a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to anyone over the age of 18, Prime Minister Jonas Gar Stere said, but ruled out any loose measures. .

“The government wants to introduce new measures at the national level to stop the spread of the new coronavirus,” he told a news conference.

“However, we are not talking about quarantines or measures as strictly as we saw before during the pandemic,” he said, adding that “all those aged 18 and over will be offered a third installment next year.”

Vaccinated people over the age of 18 who have been exposed to a case should be tested from November 16, the Norwegian government also said.

Unvaccinated medical staff will be required to be tested twice a week and wearing a mask. The recommendation to stay at home also returns in case of symptoms.

Restrictive measures at the local level have reappeared in recent days in Norway, while the daily number of new cases of coronavirus is currently approaching 1,500 in this country of 5.4 million inhabitants.

The death toll from COVID-19 is rising again, though it remains low, to about four a day this week, according to official figures.

Europe is facing a clear deterioration of the epidemiological situation, mainly in Germany, Central Europe and the eastern part of the continent. Those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 are by far those most affected.

The old continent is once again the “focus” of the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned.

Source: AMPE