Norway Government Takes Radical Decisions against Spread of Coronavirus: First Time Since WW2

Schools are closed, public services are restricted, gyms, hairdressers, massage salloons and tattoo studios are closed, travel bans are introduced.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg says at a press conference that all Norwegian political parties is united to use powerful measures in the fight against the coronavirus. The measures we take can create fear in some people, says Minister of Health Bent Høie.

We are in a difficult time for both Norway and the world, says Solberg during the press conference.

She emphasizes that she has a great understanding of the fear among the people, and that the drastic measures hopefully stop the coronavirus in Norway.

-Today, the government comes with the strongest and most radical measures we have had in Norway since independence, says Solberg.

Here are the measures:

• Kindergartens, secondary schools, high schools, universities, colleges and other educational institutions are closed.
• Exceptions apply to critical social institutions, such as persons in the health sector. Schools and kindergartens must provide services for children with parents in these sectors, and for children with special needs.
• Cultural events, sports events, gyms and businesses offering hairdressing, skincare, massage, body care and tattooing are prohibited. Also, swimming pools are closed.
• Retail and commodity trading are conducted as normal. The Minister of Health advises against hoarding food.
• The transport sector operates as normal, but people are encouraged to avoid leisure travel. Do not go to work or school, avoid travel if it is strictly necessary.
• Avoid public transport, or other places where you can easily get close to others, and close contact with others.
• Restrictions are also introduced for visitors to all the country’s health institutions. Healthcare professionals are also not allowed to travel abroad to ensure that Norway has health care providers available.
• Everyone who returns from traveling outside the Nordic countries should be in home quarantine – regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. Quarantine after travel abroad has retroactive effect from 27 February.
• The measures are effective from today, March 12, from 18:00 to 26 March 2020, with the exception of the latter point on travel for health professionals, which is currently valid for April.

More than 126,300 have so far been infected by the corona virus in the world. This is the situation in Norway right now: