Norway Orders New National Precautions Due To Omicron Virus

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Norway is clustered just below Germany, the UK and Denmark in the number of daily COVID cases (per capita), all running nearly twice the rate (or more) of the United States (see chart above).  While Delta is currently dominant in Europe, these countries have all reported significant numbers of the Omicron variant over the past week. 

While the severity of the Omicron variant has yet to be determined, there are concerns that it could overwhelm healthcare delivery services. Today Norway has announced several measures to reduce the spread of COVID over the Christmas Holidays. 

Faced with the dual threat of Delta and Omicron, it seems likely that other countries will follow suit.  

Translated excerpts from 3 government press releases follow: 

The government is reintroducing the traffic light model in schools and kindergartens

Press release | Date: 07.12.2021

Schools and kindergartens throughout the country will once again use the traffic light model. The level of measures must at least be at the green level, but the municipalities can themselves assess whether they should raise the level of measures to the yellow or red level. Universities, colleges and vocational colleges must conduct examinations, either digitally, as home exams or in person.

- The government will shield children and young people as much as possible. The infection situation is different in the municipalities around the country. Therefore, we implement several targeted measures that limit infection, while children and young people can still be in kindergarten and school, says Minister of Education Tonje Brenna. 

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Close contacts must be in the quarantine of infection if omicron is suspected

News | Date: 07.12.2021

The government has decided to introduce requirements for quarantine of infection also for other close contacts to an infected person where there is a suspicion of omicron. Today, the quarantine obligation in such cases only applies to household members and similarly close relatives.

Persons who have been in close contact with a person who has been placed in isolation after suspected or confirmed infection with omicron, must be in quarantine infection for 10 days after close contact. This obligation ceases if it is later confirmed that the infection is not due to the omicron variant.

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New national infection control measures to maintain control

Press release | Date: 07.12.2021 | No: 164/21

The government has decided to introduce a number of national infection control measures to reduce the burden on the health and care service, and to delay and limit the spread of omikron.

The measures are based on advice from the Norwegian Directorate of Health and the National Institute of Public Health

- We would very much like to be done with the pandemic. Now the situation is still so serious that we must take new measures to maintain control. Therefore, it will be a different Christmas holiday this year as well. The danger of an overloaded health service and the spread of the more contagious omicron virus necessitate new, strict measures to reduce social contact in society, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The Prime Minister says the vaccines will gradually make us more immune.

- The hope is therefore precisely in the vaccine. To those of you who have not been vaccinated: Do so. To those of you who are offered a refresher dose: Accept, says the Prime Minister.

The health service can be congested

There is great and increasing pressure on the municipal health service and the hospitals. Further spread of infection and increase in hospitalizations will reduce the capacity to treat both covid-19 patients and other patients.

- The measures introduced will slow down the spread of omicrons. We do not know now whether the omikron variant will increase admissions further. But the measures will give us time to gain more knowledge about the omicron variant's infectivity and severity, and to vaccinate more people, says Minister of Health and Care Services Ingvild Kjerkol.

At the same time as there are over 300 patients admitted to Norwegian hospitals with covid-19, the hospitals also have many patients with other respiratory infections, and children admitted with RS virus. Together with high sickness absence among employees and little access to temporary staff, this presents capacity challenges in the entire health and care service. Several hospitals have reduced planned patient treatments and examinations. There are also capacity challenges in the GP scheme and the outpatient service. The municipalities also have extensive tasks with vaccination and TISK (testing, isolation, infection detection and quarantine).

When omikron comes in addition to extensive infection with delta, and people have many close contacts, the TISK work in the municipalities becomes very demanding.

- The municipalities are now doing a large and important job of vaccination. And municipalities with outbreaks have worked hard to reduce the infection. It is a tough job when both employees and the population are tired of long working days and a pandemic that does not go away. I'm impressed with the work being done. I am also impressed with all the professionals in the health and care service who have worked hard for almost two years. We have no one sitting on the bench who can take over when people need a break. If the health service is overloaded, it will affect us all. Therefore, we must now reduce the infection and reduce the burden on the health and care service, says the Minister of Health and Care Services.

(SNIP)

These are the national measures

All new national injunctions and recommendations take effect at midnight on Thursday 9 December. They last for four weeks - but will be reconsidered after two.

Advice and recommendations

Distance and social contact

• Everyone should keep a distance of 1 meter to other than household members and similarly close.
• The recommendation does not apply to children in kindergartens and primary schools. There are also exceptions for adults who work with services for children and young people and vulnerable groups.
• You should not have more than 10 guests at home in addition to your own household. You can have up to 20 guests once during the Christmas and New Year holidays, but there should be a meter distance between the guests. Everyone must think through how many close contacts they have seen in total.
• Children in kindergartens and primary schools may have visits from their own cohort / class / department even if it exceeds the recommended number of guests.
• Reduce the number of close contacts, but do not isolate yourself.
• Meet others outdoors whenever possible.

Organized leisure activities

• Leisure activities should be carried out outdoors as far as possible, and changing rooms should be kept closed.
• For organized leisure activities indoors, it is recommended that adults over the age of 20 are in groups of up to 20 people. Furthermore, it is recommended that adults indoors keep a distance where it is possible to exercise the activity, and that you keep a distance of 2 meters during high-intensity training.
• No specific recommendation is given about distance and number when children and young people under the age of 20 train and participate in sports, cultural and leisure activities.
• Top sports can be carried out as normal.

Schools, kindergartens and SFO

• Regular testing in schools with high infection pressure.
• If necessary, the municipalities will again use the traffic light model in schools and kindergartens. The starting point is the green level, unless otherwise decided locally.
• Meetings can be arranged for children in kindergarten or primary school with whole classes / departments / groups with the required number of adults present.
• Universities, colleges and vocational colleges should as soon as practically introduce teaching in smaller groups and more digital teaching. Students who are dependent on conducting experiments in laboratories or skills training should be given priority for physical education.
• Universities, colleges and vocational colleges should facilitate exams and compulsory courses, either digital or physical, where good infection control is practically possible. The same applies to other educational institutions for adults.

See separate online case about measures in school / kindergarten and higher education .
Working life

• Recommendation of a distance of 1 meter and increased use of home office.
• Recommendation for face masks if it is not possible to keep distance, unless physical barriers such as the use of partitions or the like have been used.
• Home offices and face masks do not apply to services where this prevents employees from performing necessary and statutory tasks in meetings with vulnerable groups and children and young people.

Aeration

Good ventilation / ventilation is recommended in situations where you stay in the same room over time with people who are not household members and similarly close.

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Note: The above is a truncated version. For more details on Events and gatherings, Restaurants, Infection control, and Quarantine follow the link to read the press release in its entirety.