0
0
A wave of new closures and restrictions affecting nearly all businesses and institutions in Norway due to the coronavirus was announced Thursday afternoon by Prime Minister Erna Solberg and other top officials. Effective as of 6 p.m. for at least the next two weeks, all educational institutions, sports and recreational events, fitness centers, businesses offering body services such as haircuts and skin care, and pubs that don’t serve food are closed.
Supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open, as will restaurants with additional food handling restrictions.
Also, all people arriving in Norway from anyway other than Nordic countries since Feb. 27 will be subject to mandatory quarantine.
“The drastic measures we are now taking are in the hope of stopping the virus,” Solberg said. “We are doing this in solidarity with the elderly, the chronically ill, and others who are particularly at risk of developing a serious illness. We must protect ourselves to protect others.”
There were 703 coronavirus cases in Norway at the time of the press conference. Between 22,000 and 30,000 people may eventually be hospitalised as a result of infection, with up to 7,600 requiring intensive treatment, said Camilla Stoltenberg, division director for the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
The new measures include:
• Closure of all schools, kindergartens and universities
• Requiring primary schools and kindergartens to stay partially open to care for children of key personnel in healthcare, transport and other critical social functions.
• Cultural events, sports events, gyms, and businesses offering hairdressing, skincare, massage, body care and tattooing are all banned. Swimming pools will be closed.
• Pubs that do not serve food will be closed. Eateries remaining open will be prohibited from serving buffets and other food provided to customers out in the open. All guests should be able to sit at least one meter away from each other.
• The retroactive quarantine applies regardless of whether people have symptoms of the virus.
• Restrictions on visitors to all the country’s health facilities. People are asked not to visit institutions housing vulnerable groups such as the elderly, psychiatry and prisons.
• Healthcare professionals working with patients are banned from travelling abroad.
(This is a breaking story with updates in progress.)
Norway’s news in English SearchSearch
Editions: Europe · Austria · Denmark · France · Germany · Italy · Norway · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland
Logo
MenuMenu
About MembershipJobs in NorwayNoticeboardAdvertise with us
Norway shuts all schools and universities to fight coronavirus pandemic
Norway shuts all schools and universities to fight coronavirus pandemic
Oslo University will be closed. Photo: Mahlum/Wikimedia Commons
The Local
news@thelocal.no
@thelocalnorway
12 March 202014:17 CET+01:00
Norway is shutting down all schools, kindergartens and universities in the country in what Prime Minister Erna Solberg called “the most far-reaching measures we have ever had in peacetime in Norway”.
“All the country’s kidnergartens, schools, primary schools, secondary schools, technical colleges and universities are to be closed,” Solberg confirmed at a press conference held at her cabinet office on Thursday, according to a report by state broadcaster NRK.
The measures, laid out in detail on the website of Norway’s Health Ministry, also require everyone who has arrived in Norway from anywhere apart from the Nordic countries since February 27 to go into compulsory quarantine.
Solberg said that though difficult, the measures were necessary to slow the spread of coronavirus.
“We are in a difficult time, both for Norway and for the world,” she said, according to the VG newspaper, conceding that the measures would could hardship and inconvenience.
“The drastic measures we are now taking are in the hope of stopping the virus. We are doing this in solidarity with the elderly, the chronically ill, and others who are particularly at risk of developing a serious illness. We must protect ourselves to protect others.”
She warned employees suddenly faced with unexpected childcare demands not to call on elderly relatives who are especially vulnerable to the virus.
“We must remind you who we should most be watching out for. We should therefore not hand over childcare to grandparents in the risk category.”
Camilla Stoltenberg, Division Director at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, estimated at the briefing that between 22,000 and 30,000 people could be hospitalised as a result of infection, with up to 7,600 requiring intensive treatment.
The measures include.
Closure of all schools, kindergartens and universities
A provision requiring primary schools and kindergartens to stay partially open in order to look after the children of key personnel in healthcare, transport and other critical social functions.
Cultural events, sports events, gyms and businesses offering hairdressing, skincare, massage, body care and tattooing are all banned. Swimming pools will be closed.
A requirement for everyone arriving in Norway from outside the Nordic to enter quarantine, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. This is retroactive to 27 February.
Restrictions on visitors to all the country’s health facilities and the introduction of access control
People are asked not to visit institutions housing vulnerable groups (elderly, psychiatry, prison etc)
Healthcare professionals working with patients are banned from travelling abroad.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
coronavirushealthtrafficschoolsuniversity
Share this article
TOP ARTICLES
1/5
Your content will start shortly…
by TaboolaSponsored LinksYou May Like
Første mann til mølla! 1000 gratis d-vitaminbokser skal bort
Dmax
De 5 minst sunne hundraser
no.like.it
Incredible New Technology Taking Europe By Storm
knuckledunk
The 10 symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
Fribbla.com
Ny wifi-forsterker som alle i Norge snakker om
WifiBoost
Få 3 tilbud på en bedre/billigere TV-pakke
TVpakker.no
New Genius $109 Health Smartwatch Can Do ECG Tests On You
G7 Smart Watch
A Software that allows ANYONE to create animation videos without any technical, video or design skills in minutes
Animaytor
Finn perfekte kjoler for kvinner med former
Megasavings
Bor i Oslo og trenger lån? Søk tilbud her
Lån | Søkeannonser
Hvorfor kjope en bil? Langtidsleie bil bliver meget billigere! Finn tilbud her.
Freetipps NO | Søkeannonser
Hva skjer med usolgte biler og SUV-er fra 2018?
SaverDaily
Member comments
The Local is not responsible for content posted by users.
Become a Member or sign-in to leave a comment.
10
SECONDS
Do You Know What Happened On This Day?
Latest headlines
Norway to launch ‘most far-reaching measures seen in peacetime’ to slow coronavirus
Norway may shut down airports as Trump’s coronavirus travel ban hits
Coronavirus in Norway: What’s the latest news and what precautions should you take?
‘It’s time for drastic measures’: Oslo raises emergency level to fight virus
Norwegian expression of the day: Ta deg en bolle!
MAP: The Norwegian counties most affected by coronavirus infections
UPDATE: Norway bans big events as coronavirus hits ‘new phase’
Coronavirus cases in Norway tops 400 as first patients admitted to hospital
More news
How the coronavirus has (and hasn’t) affected the Nordic countries
MAP: The Norwegian counties most affected by coronavirus infections
UPDATE: Norway bans big events as coronavirus hits ‘new phase’
Airline Norwegian cancels 3,000 flights due to coronavirus impact
Coronavirus cases in Norway tops 400 as first patients admitted to hospital
Related articles
Norway to launch ‘most far-reaching measures seen in peacetime’ to slow coronavirus
Norway to launch ‘most far-reaching measures seen in peacetime’ to slow coronavirus
Coronavirus: What you need to know about Trump’s Europe travel ban
Coronavirus: What you need to know about Trump’s Europe travel ban
Norway may shut down airports as Trump’s coronavirus travel ban hits
Norway may shut down airports as Trump’s coronavirus travel ban hits
Coronavirus in Norway: What’s the latest news and what precautions should you take?
Coronavirus in Norway: What’s the latest news and what precautions should you take?
‘It’s time for drastic measures’: Oslo raises emergency level to fight virus
‘It’s time for drastic measures’: Oslo raises emergency level to fight virus
The Local Europe AB
The Park Södra
Magnus Ladulåsgatan 3
118 65 Stockholm
Sweden
Contact us
Our journalists
Advertise with us
Post a job ad
Terms of use
Privacy policy
Manage consent
Facebook Twitter Linkedin RSS feed
Thank you for visiting our site! We value your privacy.
When you visit our site, pre-selected companies may access and use certain information on your device and about this site to serve relevant ads or personalized content. Some third parties may rely on cookie or device identifiers, as well as IP addresses.
If you agree with the use of your data for these purposes, please click Allow all and close. To learn more and to change your preferences, please click Manage your choices.
You can revisit and change your preferences at any time.
Information that may be used
Purposes for storing information
Manage your choices
Allow all and close
